CFAs: Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Programme

The Fellowship aims to support aspirational public health leaders (Fellows) in Africa in acquiring advanced skills and competencies to strategize, manage and lead public health programmes that will positively transform public health in Africa.

For Cohort 5 they continue to encourage a diversity of applicants from across the continent, and specifically for Cohort 5 Sexual and Reproductive health and Public Mental Health Professionals are encouraged to apply.

Benefits

• At the end of the programme, Fellows would have developed core competencies in the following areas:
  • Superior skills in negotiation, health policy, partnerships, and health diplomacy, given the unique position of Africa CDC as a technical institution of the African Union.
  • Enhanced ability to frame and develop a viable strategic vision for ambitious yet attainable goals for health outcomes.
  • Improved ability to influence and empower others to achieve go-getting, multidimensional health goals.
  • Enhanced skills in effective communication and managing different media platforms to get vital messages across a range of agencies and contexts.
  • Learning with, and from, public health leaders from around the world, enhancing personal and professional global networks.
  • Strong knowledge of the key aspects of global public health history and principles; in particular, those relating to major political, economic, and social aspects of public health in Africa.
  • Improved ability to analyse the social, economic and political factors influencing the financing of healthcare and economic security.
  • Deeper insight into personal leadership and career goals, and enhanced resilience, flexibility and efficiency.

Cost Covered

• Africa CDC will provide all learning and development materials and meet all costs associated with the fellowship, including travel, daily allowance and insurance during the residential placements. Fellows will be supported to ensure that they have the relevant software for online learning.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants for the Fellowship must:
  • be citizens of an African Union Member State;
  • possess a postgraduate degree in a relevant field in public health;
  • have 10 years of professional experience after gaining a masters degree in any field of public health, including but not limited to Sexual and Reproductive health, one health, human medicine, finance, health economics, health policy, animal health, or environmental health
  • be in full-time employment in any area of public health, in public or private institution in Africa;
  • have a good track record or be able to demonstrate the potential for effective public health leadership where they can positively impact the public health outcomes of populations in Africa.

Selection Criteria

• Fellowship Selection Selection to the Fellowship will be by an independent committee comprising of experts from the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, and their global partners. The selection process will emphasize an equal opportunity approach to secure the representation of women and underrepresented groups.

Application Requirements

• All applications must be submitted using the online application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All applicants must provide the following required information:
  • A support letter from the current employer to confirm employment, guaranteeing that the candidate will be allowed enough time to participate in the Fellowship programme and to attend the full eight weeks of institutional residential experience.
  • Letters of recommendation from two reputable professional referees.
  • A personal statement (maximum 400 words) providing evidence of the candidate’s commitment to public health in Africa detailing the following:
    • Their leadership experience and professional attainment
    • Their vision of, and the future impact of effective public health leadership in Africa
    • How they would champion public health initiatives in Africa
  • A leadership challenge project proposal (maximum 400 words) that outlines a potential leadership challenge project they will implement which is feasible to complete with in the 12 month of the fellowship. The proposal should include a title, brief description of the challenge (the what, the who is affected, and the why), a proposed strategy for a solution, and the expected outcome.

For more information, visit Africa CDC.