Africa CDC Funds Youth Health Summit; Applications Close Sept. 13

Africa CDC opened applications on 31 August 2026 for the Youth Pre-Conference (YPC 2026), a fully sponsored gathering that will run 21 to 22 November 2026, immediately before the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa. The deadline to apply is 13 September 2026 at 17:00 East Africa Time.

The sponsorship package is comprehensive. Selected participants receive airfare, accommodation, meals and conference registration at no cost, removing the financial barriers that typically limit access to continental gatherings for young professionals from across African Union Member States.

YPC 2026 targets Africans aged 18 to 35 working in public health, research, innovation and community health leadership. Eligible applicants must be citizens of an African Union Member State and hold at least an undergraduate enrolment or demonstrate relevant educational, professional or community experience. Qualifying disciplines are broad, covering public health, medicine, nursing, environmental health, digital health, technology, health policy, communications and journalism, entrepreneurship, manufacturing and social sciences.

The pre-conference feeds directly into CPHIA 2026, which runs 23 to 27 November 2026. Youth priorities and recommendations developed during the two-day gathering will carry forward into the main conference discussions. Full participation in both events is mandatory for selected delegates.

Work at YPC 2026 will be organised across five thematic tracks: Digital Health, Research and Innovation; Building Africa’s Public Health Workforce; One Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Local Manufacturing and Health Sovereignty; and Youth Leadership on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. The tracks reflect the Africa CDC’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda, which frames the conference as part of a continental shift away from health dependency toward greater ownership and self-reliance.

Beyond the thematic sessions, the programme includes workshops, dialogues and interactive sessions. Delegates will engage with African public health leaders, policymakers, researchers and practitioners, and will have the opportunity to present their own research, projects or community work to a pan-African audience.

The selection timeline is tight. Applications close 13 September 2026; selected applicants will be notified by 2 October 2026; and attendance confirmation is due by 9 October 2026, leaving roughly six weeks between notification and the pre-conference itself.

To apply, candidates must submit a completed online application form, a curriculum vitae of no more than two pages, a passport biodata page and any additional materials requested in the form. Submissions are accepted in English or French.

The practical question facing Africa CDC now is whether the compressed window between the application deadline and the notification date, less than three weeks, will allow sufficient time to process applications from across 55 member states and communicate decisions before the 9 October confirmation cutoff.