The Africa CDC Youth Digital Health Champions (YDH-C) Program for 2025 is a 12-month initiative aimed at identifying and empowering young leaders who are leveraging digital innovation to transform healthcare across Africa. The program is an initiative of the Africa CDC’s Youth in Digital Health Network (YiDHN), a platform designed to foster youth-driven solutions and meaningful participation in digital health policy and practice.
Program objectives
The YDH-C program has several key objectives:
- Identify and profile leaders: The program seeks out young leaders actively shaping the digital health landscape in Africa through innovation, research, public health programs, or advocacy.
- Create a continental network: By connecting a vibrant community of digital health innovators and advocates, the program builds a network that can inform policy, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, and amplify youth leadership.
- Advance health security: The initiative directly supports Africa CDC’s broader mission of strengthening public health capacities and addressing disease threats through science and data-driven interventions.
- Foster youth-driven innovation: It is a strategic effort to foster innovations driven by young people to advance Universal Health Coverage in Africa.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old, citizens of an African Union member state, proficient in English, French, Arabic, or Portuguese, and actively involved in digital health through innovation, research, public health programs, policy, or capacity building.
Selection criteria
Selection is based on leadership and initiative (45%), impact and innovation (25%), and motivation and potential (30%) in digital health.
Key benefits for champions
The 12-month program provides visibility, networking opportunities with other innovators, access to high-level convenings and policy dialogues, capacity building workshops, and potential support for scaling up digital health startups through partnerships.
How to apply
Applications are due by September 14, 2025, at 11:00 PM GMT+3. To apply, submit a completed online application, a CV/resume, and one letter of recommendation. Optional materials such as project links can also be included.
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