Exciting Fully Funded Fellowship: Join the AVoHC Kofi Annan Scholars Program – Strategy Development Expert (20 positions available)

Ednah Carrick March 3, 2026

0 970 4 minutes read

Closing Date: 2 April 2026

Exciting Fully Funded Fellowship: Join the AVoHC Kofi Annan Scholars Program – Strategy Development Expert (20 positions available)

Purpose of Job

In June 2015, the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government, through Decision AU/Dec.570 (XXV), mandated the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with Member States and partners, to establish the African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC). The African Volunteers Health Corps was conceived as a continental mechanism to rapidly deploy skilled African public health professionals in support of Member States during health emergencies and other priority public health interventions, strengthening Africa’s collective capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats in a timely and coordinated manner.

Africa CDC’s mandate is anchored in advancing Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda, which refers to the continent’s ability to independently prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats through strong institutions, sustainable financing, skilled human capital, and locally owned data, systems, and decision-making processes. Health security, in this context, goes beyond emergency response and includes the long-term institutional capacity of Member States to plan, finance, manage, and sustain public health functions.

Achieving this agenda requires not only technical interventions, but also strong leadership, robust public financial management, strategic resource mobilization, and systems-level thinking within Ministries of Health, National Public Health Institutes, and other key health institutions. Persistent gaps in these areas continue to limit the ability of Member States to translate policy commitments into sustainable, domestically driven action.

In response to this need, the African Union Commission launched the Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Program (KA-GHLP) on 25 May 2020 as a flagship initiative of Africa CDC, in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Program aims to build a pipeline of African public health leaders capable of advancing Africa’s health security and sovereignty agenda. KA-GHLP consists of three complementary components:

1. the Public Health Leadership Fellowship,
2. the Public Health Scholars Program, and
3. the Public Health Policy Forum.

The Kofi Annan Scholars Program (PHSP) deploys experienced African public health professionals, including experts from the African Diaspora, into time-bound, results-oriented placements within Ministries of Health, National Public Health Institutes, and other strategic national or continental health institutions. These deployments are designed to provide high-level technical assistance, strengthen systems, support institutional transformation, and deliver clearly defined outputs aligned with Africa CDC priorities.

Recognizing the African Diaspora as the sixth region of the African Union since 2012, the Scholars Program also serves as a structured mechanism to harness diaspora expertise in support of Africa’s health security, institutional resilience, and sustainable financing for health.

Within this framework, Africa CDC seeks to establish a roster of qualified Strategy Development Expert under the AVoHC mechanism as part of the Kofi Annan Scholars Program. Inclusion in the roster does not constitute recruitment into a staff position; rather, it enables paid, time-bound professional deployments based on programmatic needs, availability of funding, and agreed deliverables. Scholars engaged through this mechanism receive remuneration and benefits in accordance with applicable AU rules, regulations, and enumeration guidelines, reflecting the seniority, expertise, and outputs expected from the assignment.

Main Functions

The Strategy Development Expert will support national governments and public health institutions in the design, development, and implementation of robust, evidence-informed strategies. These strategies may include, but are not limited to, national public health workforce strategies, institutional development plans, emergency preparedness strategies, and health system strengthening frameworks. The expert will ensure alignment with Africa CDC’s New Public Health Order and the strategic priorities of the Member State.

Specific Responsibilities

Conduct situational analyses and capability mapping to inform national or institutional strategic direction.
Identify policy, operational, and resource gaps in public health systems and propose appropriate solutions.
Lead or contribute to the drafting of national or institutional strategies aligned with AU and country-specific priorities.
Facilitate strategic planning consultations and co-creation workshops with relevant stakeholders.
Develop strategic frameworks, roadmaps, implementation tools, and monitoring mechanisms.
Produce high-quality technical documents, policy briefs, and planning guidance.
Support countries in resource mobilization, partner coordination, and integration of strategic initiatives.
Contribute to the design of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems to track progress and impact.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

Master’s or Doctoral degree in Public Health, Health Policy, Health Systems Management, Strategic Planning, or a related field.
At least 7 years of experience in strategic planning, national policy development, or institutional reform in the public health sector.
Demonstrated experience in leading or contributing to strategy development processes is required.
Strong understanding of health systems and policy environments across Africa.
Proven ability to develop and implement national strategic frameworks or plans.
Experience working with Ministries of Health, NPHIs, development partners, and civil society.
Familiarity with Africa CDC’s initiatives and AU strategic documents (e.g., Agenda 2063) is an advantage.
Excellent strategic writing and policy communication skills.

Required Skills

Functional Skills

Advanced skills in policy analysis, strategic planning, and institutional development.
Ability to translate technical insights into actionable strategy documents.
Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Proficiency in managing multi-stakeholder processes.

Language Requirement:

Proficiency in at least one AU working language (English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili).
Knowledge of two or more additional AU working languages is an added advantage.

Notes

The Team Members will be deployed on on-call basis, based on the need. The Africa CDC will determine the duration of deployment in consultation with member state authorities.

Why Join?

Contribute directly to Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda by ensuring high-quality health strategies are developed for the NPHIs.
Collaborate with Member States Ministries of Health, NPHIs, and different stakeholders.
Gain continental-level exposure and influence.

What Africa CDC Offer

Stipend provided for the duration of deployment.
All travel, accommodation, and deployment-related expenses covered by Africa CDC.
Opportunity to work on high-impact assignments with government and regulatory authorities across Africa.

REMUNERATION:
This is a call for AVoHC membership. Successful applicants are not entitled to any monetary incentives during membership. However, during the assignment, deployed experts will have rights to the following:

Economic class round-trip tickets and other travel related expenses;
Health insurance during the deployment period;
Stipend , communications, Incidentals and Risk allowance;
Accommodation allowance in case of deployment outside of the city of residence;
Certificate of recognition of your contribution at the end of deployment;
Advantages of becoming an AVoHC member.

As an AVoHC member, you will learn about different cultures and languages, expand your networks and gain unmatched professional and life experiences. During your membership, you will have the following opportunities:

Gain AVoHC membership professional development including trainings and mentorship;
Be deployed at the request of member states, to build the capacity of national institutions.

AVoHC members come from 55 countries, representing diverse cultures. They bring a wide variety of perspectives and approaches, which lend a dynamism to the volunteering assignment.