Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellowship (Cohort 6) at African Union - MY NGO JOBS

Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellowship (Cohort 6)

Empowering the Next Generation of African Public Health Architects

The future of African health security rests on the strength and vision of its public health leadership. This highly competitive fellowship is a strategic investment in cultivating the continental experts necessary to strategize, manage, and guide complex health programs that will define the ‘New Public Health Order for Africa.’ By fostering leaders capable of driving policy reform and forging robust transnational partnerships, this initiative serves as a crucial mechanism for transforming health governance and accelerating positive health outcomes across all member states.

Fellowship Summary

The Kofi Annan Fellowship is an intensive, advanced program designed to equip aspirational African public health professionals with the advanced skills, strategic insights, and essential networks required for high-level leadership. Successful fellows will dedicate themselves to deep learning, strategic development, and the implementation of a critical leadership challenge project aimed at making an immediate and tangible impact on public health reforms on the continent.

Why This Fellowship is Important

This program directly addresses the critical need for top-tier African leadership in global health. By focusing on practical application, policy guidance, and strategic management, the fellowship ensures that the continent’s most promising minds are equipped to withstand future health crises, manage existing pandemics, and sustainably reform national health systems. Alumni of the program have gone on to assume pivotal roles, including cabinet-level positions and institutional replications of the fellowship model, demonstrating the profound systemic change driven by this investment.

Fellowship Focus and Key Deliverables

The fellowship is structured around intensive learning, strategic program guidance, and actionable reform. Fellows will focus on:

1. Strategic Program Management

High-Level Strategy: Acquiring and applying advanced skills to formulate and execute continental public health strategies and policies.
Operational Guidance: Providing expert management and direction for large-scale public health programs across diverse geographical and thematic areas.
Leadership Challenge Project: Designing, proposing, and initiating a high-impact project focused on solving a specific, clearly defined leadership challenge within the African public health domain.

2. Policy and Reform

Reform Advocacy: Driving the implementation of the “New Public Health Order for Africa” through advocacy, governance contributions, and institutional reforms.
Knowledge Dissemination: Creating and sharing influential knowledge products to shape health policy debates among policymakers and global partners.
Partnership Building: Actively forging and leveraging transnational and multi-sectoral partnerships to enhance Africa’s collective health security.

3. Capacity Building and Mentorship

Skill Acquisition: Participating fully in residential learning sessions, utilizing digital tools, and engaging with learning materials to master global health leadership competencies.
Succession Planning: Developing the skills necessary to mentor and prepare the next generation of public health professionals within their home institutions.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Selection is conducted by an independent committee to ensure equal opportunity and strong representation of diverse professional backgrounds.

Mandatory Requirements

Citizenship: Must be a citizen of an African Union Member State.
Education: Hold a postgraduate degree (Master’s or higher) in a public health-related field. This includes but is not limited to: Human Medicine, One Health, Health Economics, Sexual and Reproductive Health, or Health Policy.
Professional Experience: A minimum of ten (10) years of robust professional experience following the completion of the Master’s degree.
Employment Status: Must be currently employed full-time in a public health capacity within a public or private sector institution located in Africa.
Leadership Potential: Demonstrate a clear and strong track record of, or verifiable potential for, impactful leadership that can contribute to improved health outcomes continent-wide.

Application Document Requirements (Tips for Applicants)

Employer Support Letter: A formal letter from your current employer guaranteeing your dedicated time release for all fellowship activities.
Professional References: Two (2) strong professional letters of recommendation attesting to your leadership and professional caliber.
Personal Statement (Max 400 words): Address your key leadership experiences, professional accomplishments, your vision for the future of African public health, and how you plan to champion new initiatives.
Leadership Challenge Proposal (Max 400 words): Include the project title, a description of the challenge (what, who, and why it matters), and your proposed strategy with expected, measurable outcomes.

Fellowship Benefits and Compensation

This is a fully funded opportunity, removing financial barriers to participation and ensuring fellows can focus entirely on their development.

Fully Funded: Africa CDC covers all fellowship-related costs.
Financial Support: Coverage includes travel, accommodation, insurance during residential sessions, and daily living allowances.
Resources: Access to all necessary learning materials and required digital tools.
Salary Expectation: Competitive (While this is a fellowship, the comprehensive coverage of costs and the high-value network and training provide a highly competitive total remuneration package).

About the African Union and Africa CDC

The African Union (AU) is the foundational continental body, encompassing the 55 member states of Africa, established to foster an Integrated, Prosperous, and Peaceful continent. Operating as a dynamic force on the global stage, the AU is committed to achieving development driven by its own citizens. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a specialized technical institution of the AU, is mandated to support public health initiatives of member states, enhancing their ability to detect, prevent, control, and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks.

Application Details

Criterion	Detail
Requisition ID	2898
Location	Open to Citizens of AU Member States (Focus on Nigeria)
Number of Openings	25
Application Closing Date	January 30th, 2026
Notification of Success	April 31st, 2026
Program Start Date	June 1st, 2026

Tips for Applicants & How to Apply

We are particularly interested in applicants who possess expertise in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Public Mental Health, as well as senior professionals currently serving in government ministries or National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs).

Strategic Focus: Ensure your Leadership Challenge Proposal is realistic, innovative, and directly relevant to current African public health priorities.
Clear Commitment: The Employer Support Letter is mandatory; failure to provide a strong guarantee of time release will invalidate the application.
Online Submission Only: Interested and qualified candidates must submit their complete application package exclusively through the official online portal by clicking the link below.

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