Call for Applications: Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC2024)

Its aim is to (1) showcase the remarkable contributions young Africans are already making in health policy, practice, and research; and (2) explore how to broaden engagement with and further empower these young leaders to transform the health sector across Africa.

The Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC) is an Africa CDC youth initiative held annually at the margins of the International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA). It brings together young African public health professionals from all over the continent and the diaspora, with the aim of providing a platform to network with young leading health experts, exchange with their peers on existing and emerging health issues on the continent and present their contribution to a continental audience.

Objectives 

• General Objective
  • As Africa CDC navigates the complex landscape of public health, investing in meaningful Youth engagement emerges as a cornerstone strategy for providing platforms, mentorship, and a voice in shaping policies.
  • The 2024 Youth Pre-Conference on public health aims at fostering and enhancing advocacy for youth meaningful engagement, active participation, and inclusive leadership in public health in Africa. It also seeks to educate and empower the youths to make informed decisions and contribute to strengthen the continent health security (UHC) and providing a space for young people to present their Contribution in health policy, practice, and research.
• Specific Objectives
  • The aim for YPC 2024 is to:
    • Assess current levels, scope, and typologies of youth engagement in policy, practice, and research,
    • Provide insights on how to improve current levels and broaden engagement within the framework of the Africa CDC Strategy for Youth Engagement and Participation in Global Health,
    • Highlight Africa’s youth contribution to public health policy, practice and research and discuss ways to improve their capacities in this regard, and
    • Showcase youth innovation and contributions to shaping public health policy, practice, and research.
    • Underscore the critical importance of increasing the enrollment of the youth in Community Health Workers Programs as a pathway for responding to disease outbreaks and reducing youth unemployment.

YCP Tracks 

• The YPC 2024 will feature six tracks where youth are already leading the charge:
  • Youth and Digital Health Innovations
  • Empowering Youth: Workforce/Talent Development for Job Opportunities
  • Youth for the Advancement of Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
  • Youth Championing Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS
  • Youth Health Advocates supporting CHWs activities and Programmes
  • Youth and One Health for a Healthier Future

Benefits 

• It will include:
  • Plenary sessions and Keynotes by high-level individuals.
  • Parallel sessions and workshops in a range of formats to encourage broad participation.
  • Oral and poster presentations of youth-led or youth-focused research and projects.
  • Networking opportunities.

Expected Outcomes

• Opportunities created for young professionals and researchers to present their work across the six tracks in Africa.
• Networking opportunities provided for African Youth in public health to engage with each other and leading professionals.
• The contribution of young African professionals to the public health evidence base in Africa showcased and documented.
• Compelling justification of involving youth in community health programs and benefits to social-political capital established.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet all the below criteria to be eligible to apply:
  • Age: 18 to 35 years
  • Citizenship: Applicants must be a citizen of an AU member State
  • Experience and expertise: have an educational background (at least enrolled as undergraduate) and first professional experiences in health and health-adjacent disciplines. Extensive work experience in public health may be used as a supplement by applicants holding degrees unrelated to health sciences or public health.
  • Leadership and commitment: participants must demonstrate leadership potential and strong commitment to public health engagement through involvement in youth-led health initiatives, advocacy, or community organising.
• Equity statement: They recognise the importance of ensuring youth with various marginalised and underserved identities and backgrounds can benefit equally from the initiatives. Therefore, gender, geographical balance (representation of all AU Member States), ethnic and social diversity, disability status, etc. will be considered in the final selection of participants.

For more information, visit Africa CDC.