Background: The African Union/African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have called for a New Public Health Order which will safeguard the health and economic security of the continent as it strives to meet the aspirations of Agenda 2063. A key pillar of this mandate is to expand local manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Less than one percent of vaccines administered on the continent are manufactured locally. This places a great burden on the health systems of African countries and reduces their ability to respond to pandemics and other health crises. The Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) was established by the African Union (AU) in 2021 to deliver a bold goal: enabling the African vaccine manufacturing industry to develop, produce, and supply over 60 percent of the total vaccine doses required on the continent by 2040, up from less than 1 percent today (with interim goals of 10 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030). Since 2024, the PAVM has been renamed the Platform for Harmonised African Health products Manufacturing (PHAHM) to expand its mandate to strengthen the manufacturing of therapeutics, diagnostics, and other health countermeasures.
1. The Challenge
To support the African Union’s ambition to manufacture 60% of the continent’s vaccines by 2040, there is a need to almost quadruple the current workforce of 3000 FTEs. There are insufficient purpose-built training programmes in the biomanufacturing sector, resulting in inadequate training and upskilling opportunities for university graduates and existing talent, respectively. Furthermore, available workforce upskilling initiatives are fragmented and do not favour employees, as they cannot leave their positions for extended periods.
2. Proposed Solution
To increase the number of biomanufacturing training programmes and upskilling opportunities for biomanufacturing staff on the continent, Africa CDC is launching a biomanufacturing fellowship programme. The fellowship programme will develop competence specialisations in biomanufacturing and provide the hands-on training needed to produce a best-in-class workforce and leaders in Africa’s biomanufacturing industry.
3. About the Biomanufacturing Fellowship Programme
The proposed biomanufacturing fellowship programme is designed to equip employees of biomanufacturing companies with the advanced competencies outlined in the Vaccine R&D and Vaccine Manufacturing Competency Frameworks developed by the Africa CDC. Furthermore, the programme will equip participants with knowledge and skills in leadership, mentorship, management, resource enterprise planning, and entrepreneurship. Participants will gain valuable 2-year theoretical and hands-on biomanufacturing and R&D industry experience, with a strong focus on a specialisation of their choice.
4. Target Audience and eligibility criteria
The Africa CDC Biomanufacturing Fellowship programme is targeted at employees of active biomanufacturing companies who hold a minimum of a Master’s degree in the following or related fields, or a Bachelor’s degree and more than 5 years of experience in the biomanufacturing sector:
- Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Biotechnology
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Biochemical Engineering
5. Additional requirements
- Citizens of an African Union Member State
- Must possess a valid passport
- Must be available to participate in the fellowship programme in one of the listed countries
6. Selection process
The Africa CDC PHAHM will establish a committee to review all applications, and only selected applicants will be contacted for further processing. Only 5 candidates will be selected.
7. Period of fellowship
The Africa CDC Biomanufacturing Fellowship programme will run from July 2026 to June 2028.
8. How to apply
Applications should be submitted by filling in the application form available at this link: https://tools.africacdc.org/africacdcrc/surveys/?s=77ENHNJYJ3CMKE9M
9. Financing
Africa CDC will provide the funding, which includes:
- DSA to support daily expenses when on travels for training
- Return flight tickets to training locations
- Travel and health insurance
- Visa fees
- Post fellowship allowance
10. IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for Application: 20th April 2026
- Selected candidates will be notified by 1st June 2026
- Africa CDC welcomes applications from all qualified persons from all AU Member states, regardless of their gender, race, disability, religious belief, caste, or marital status. Women are encouraged to apply.
For more information, contact: MwilaC@africacdc.org