CDC launches a fellowship program to develop skilled workforce for public health emergencies in Africa



The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced the launch of a new Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship aimed at developing a highly skilled workforce capable of leading and coordinating preparedness and response to public health emergencies in Africa.

The fellowship targets mid-career African public health professionals with experience managing Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) or leading emergency preparedness and response programs, drawn from African Union member states.

The 24-week (six-month) program includes eight weeks of in-person training at Africa CDC's headquarters in Ethiopia, where fellows will be matched with experienced mentors and coaches to support their continued learning experience. Fellows will then be deployed to PHEOCs across Africa, including the Africa CDC PHEOC, for eight weeks, and the final four weeks of the program will be spent on didactic learning, project completion, and final graduation.

Upon completion and return to their home countries, fellows will be expected to facilitate the expansion of public health emergency management programs within their home countries and take up leadership and advisory roles in public health emergency management programs.

The fellowship design principles include fellowship resilience, industry-savvy, scalable and adaptable model, leveraging on existing systems, and continuous improvement. The fellowship goal fits into the broader goal of Africa CDC's workforce development strategy as a component of the Africa CDC New Public Health Order driven by the desire to fulfill the African Union's 2063 Agenda.

The Africa CDC urges mid-career African public health professionals with experience managing PHEOCs or leading emergency preparedness and response programs to apply for the PHEM Fellowship and join the highly skilled cadre of African public health professionals leading preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

Photo/Africa CDC

Article by Jedidah Mwangi

https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-launches-public-health-emergency-management-fellowship-for-african-health-professionals/

 

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