Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – March 16, 2023: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched the Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Management fellowship (Africa CDC PHEM Fellowship), as part of its strategic commitment to broader workforce development under the New Public Health Order.
This fellowship will foster the development of a cadre of African public health workforce highly skilled to coordinate and lead preparedness and response to public health emergencies in Africa. According to its design and rollout plan, the fellowship will target mid-career African public health professionals in the public sector, with proven experience of managing PHEOCs and/or leading emergency preparedness and response programs drawn from the public sector across African Union Member States.
Announcing the launch today at his regular weekly media briefing, Africa CDC acting Director, Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma emphasized that combating several public health threats across the continent requires adequately trained and equipped workforce. The Director further noted that Africa CDC calls for a New Public Health Order that includes workforce development as one of its key pillar, suitably aligns with the vision of the African Union (AU) and its desire to build capacity in public health through medium and long-term trainings in identified areas of need.
“The commencement of the Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship will support the continent’s desire for an efficient health workforce and also carter for the dire need of skilled workforce to lead and manage public health emergency programs” remarked Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma
Key activities of the PHEM Fellowship program will include, in-person training at the Africa CDC headquarters in Ethiopia; matching Fellows with experienced mentors and coaches; deployments to PHEOCs across Africa; international study tours within Africa and outside of Africa; as well as individual project completion, which then qualifies a fellow for graduation.
Each cohort of the Fellowship will run a 24 weeks (six months) cycle, commencing August 2023.
Further details of the Fellowship are publicly available on the Africa CDC website: www.africacdc.org
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Contact: Dr. Wessam Mankoula | WessamM@africa-union.org
Media inquiries:
Dorothy Wambeti Njagi, Senior Communication Officer – Policy, Health Diplomacy & Communication: Africa CDC | Tel: +251 940 559 950 | Email: njagid@africa-union.org
G. Nekerwon Gweh, Communication Officer – Policy, Health Diplomacy & Communication; Africa CDC | Tel: +251 945 502 310 | Email: GwehN@africa-union.org
About Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a continental autonomous Public Health agency of the African Union which supports Member States in their efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, prevention and control of diseases.
Learn more at: http://www.africacdc.org
About the African Union
The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens. AU Vision: to accelerate progress towards an integrated, prosperous and inclusive Africa, at peace with itself, playing a dynamic role in the continental and global arena, effectively driven by an accountable, efficient and responsive Commission. Learn more at: http://www.au.int/en
