Constructing the Way forward for Public Well being in Africa
The Kofi Annan Fellowship in International Well being Management Program has emerged as an inspiring initiative led by the Africa Centres for Illness Management and Prevention (Africa CDC) with the purpose of reworking public well being management in Africa. Launched in 2020, the Fellowship Program has been making vital strides in direction of nurturing visionary and principled management within the area of public well being.
Named after the esteemed Kofi Atta Annan, the previous Secretary-Normal of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, this program is a collaborative effort between the African Union Fee (AUC), the Africa CDC and the Kofi Annan Basis. Its overarching mission is to empower aspiring public well being leaders with the abilities and competencies essential to impact constructive change throughout the well being sector throughout the African continent.
One among Kofi Annan’s most notable achievements was the institution of the International Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, a groundbreaking initiative that revolutionized the prevention and administration of infectious illnesses, thereby leaving an indelible affect on international public well being practices. Impressed by Annan’s visionary management, the Kofi Annan Fellowship endeavours to domesticate a brand new era of leaders who will spearhead the implementation of a brand new public well being order in Africa.
Since its inception in 2021, the Fellowship program has achieved vital milestones. The primary and second cohorts efficiently graduated 20 Fellows from 14 and 17 member states, respectively. This yr, this system obtained over 3,000 purposes and accepted 20 Fellows from 14 African international locations. These Fellows will embark on a transformative studying journey, equipping them with superior abilities and competencies to strategize, handle, and lead public well being packages of their respective nations.
As Africa strives to realize its Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Growth Targets, visionary and principled public well being management is paramount. Such management won’t solely facilitate well timed detection and efficient responses to public well being threats however may even mitigate the financial and social impacts of those challenges. By investing within the coaching and improvement of a Twenty first-century public well being workforce, Africa CDC goals to bridge the gaps within the well being workforce and tackle talent shortages all through the continent.
The launch of the Kofi Annan International Well being Management Program aligns completely with Africa CDC’s dedication to remodel the general public well being panorama as premised on the New Public Well being Order. By nurturing the following era of public well being leaders, Africa CDC and its companions aspire to ascertain a strong and sustainable public well being system that ensures a wholesome and productive inhabitants for future generations.
Within the phrases of Kofi Atta Annan, “You might be by no means too younger to steer, and it’s best to by no means doubt your capability to triumph the place others haven’t.” Allow us to wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of his visionary management and work collaboratively to construct a brighter future for public well being in Africa.
According to the pursuit of Agenda 2063 and past, Africa CDC is increasing its efforts to assist the coaching of Twenty first-century public well being workforce cadres, addressing well being workforce gaps and talent shortages. Recognizing the pressing want for transformative public well being management throughout the continent, the African Union Fee (AUC) launched the Kofi Annan International Well being Management Programme (KA-GHLP) as a flagship initiative of the Africa CDC in partnership with the Kofi Annan Basis, coinciding with the commemoration of Africa Day.
The Commencement ceremony of the Kofi Annan Fellowship in International Well being Management Program – Cohort 2 was held on Might twelfth, 2023, on the African Union Fee in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Media inquiries:
Dorothy Wambeti Njagi, Senior Communication Officer – Coverage, Well being Diplomacy & Communication: Africa CDC | Tel: +251 940 559 950 | E-mail: njagid@africa-union.org
