Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference 2026: Applications Open for Young Africans in Public Health

 

Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference 2026

Apply for the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC) 2026, a continental platform for young Africans shaping the future of public health through research, innovation, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. Organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, YPC 2026 takes place immediately before the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026). Under the theme "Africa Ready for the Future of Health," the event connects emerging leaders with policymakers, researchers, and health institutions across five thematic tracks: Digital Health and Innovation; Public Health Workforce; One Health and Emergency Preparedness; Local Manufacturing and Health Sovereignty; and Youth Leadership on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV. Participants gain networking opportunities, exposure to public health leadership, visibility for youth-led solutions, and a chance to contribute to Africa's health agenda. Open to young people across all five African regions.

Overview

Criteria	Details
Program	Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC) 2026
Organizer	Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Theme	"Africa Ready for the Future of Health"
Linked Event	5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026)
Eligibility	Young Africans from AU Member States
Thematic Tracks	5 tracks
Regional Scope	All 5 African regions
Announcement Date	31 August 2026
Deadline	Check official prospectus

About the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference 2026

The Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC) 2026 is now accepting applications from young Africans contributing to the continent's public health future through research, innovation, healthcare, advocacy, entrepreneurship, policy, communication, and community leadership.

Organized by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), YPC 2026 takes place immediately before the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026). The pre-conference serves as a platform for young Africans to connect with fellow emerging leaders, public health institutions, policymakers, researchers, and innovators working to strengthen Africa's health systems.

The 2026 edition centers on building an Africa more capable of owning, protecting, and strengthening its health systems. It aims to move conversations around health security and health sovereignty from ideas to practical action by giving young Africans a meaningful role in shaping public health priorities.

Rather than functioning simply as a networking event, YPC 2026 is designed as a working platform for youth leadership and participation in Africa's health agenda.

Theme: "Africa Ready for the Future of Health"

The theme recognizes that Africa's public health future will increasingly depend on the generation currently entering and leading health systems, research institutions, laboratories, businesses, communities, and policy spaces.

The program explores practical questions including:

• Who will lead Africa's future health systems?
• What health solutions should Africa develop and scale?
• How can African countries strengthen health security?
• How can young people contribute to health sovereignty?
• How can African-led research and innovation be better supported?
• How can the continent develop a stronger public health workforce?
• How can Africa strengthen local manufacturing and reduce external dependence?

The Five Thematic Tracks

Applicants should identify which track most closely matches their experience, expertise, and interests.

Track	Main Focus
1. Digital Health, Research and Innovation	Technology, research, innovation and digital health
2. Building Africa's Public Health Workforce	Skills, leadership and workforce development
3. One Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response	Disease preparedness, response and health security
4. Local Manufacturing and Health Sovereignty	Local production, innovation and reduced dependency
5. Youth Leadership on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV	Youth-centered SRH and HIV leadership

Who Should Apply?

The YPC 2026 is designed for young Africans actively engaged in or interested in shaping the continent's public health future:

Eligible Profiles
Young health professionals
Medical, health and public health students
Researchers and scientists
Health innovators and entrepreneurs
Digital health professionals
Public health advocates
Community leaders and health communicators
Policy advocates
Health security and emergency response workers
Local health manufacturing professionals
SRH and HIV advocates

Geographic Eligibility

The Youth Pre-Conference is open to young Africans across all five African regions:

Region
Central Africa
Eastern Africa
Northern Africa
Southern Africa
Western Africa

The opportunity is continental in scope and relevant to eligible young people from African Union Member States.

Other Opportunities for Young African Changemakers

Young Africans passionate about advocacy and social impact may also be interested in funding opportunities for storytelling and justice initiatives. Check out the Africa No Filter Voices for Climate Justice Initiative, which offers funding for African storytellers driving change on critical issues.

Application Deadline

The Africa CDC announcement was published on 31 August 2026. The announcement does not state a specific application deadline in the visible call information.

Important: Applicants should consult the official Africa CDC application page and prospectus for the current submission deadline. Because application windows can close quickly, eligible young Africans are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

How to apply

Resource	URL
Official Announcement	Africa CDC – Applications Now Open
English Prospectus	YPC 2026 Call – English (PDF)
French Prospectus	YPC 2026 Call – French (PDF)