Are you a young African working, studying, researching or building something in health?
Africa CDC is accepting applications for the Youth Pre-Conference (YPC) 2026, a continental platform bringing together young Africans who want to contribute to the future of public health, health security and health sovereignty across the continent.
The conference will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21–22 November 2026, just before the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa.
Selected participants will receive full sponsorship to attend both YPC 2026 and CPHIA 2026.
Opportunity at a Glance
Programme: Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference 2026
Organiser: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Conference dates: 21–22 November 2026
Funding: Fully sponsored for selected participants
Who can apply: Young African health professionals, students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, communicators and community leaders
Deadline: 13 September 2026, 17:00 EAT
What Is the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference?
The Youth Pre-Conference is Africa CDC’s official youth platform connected to the International Conference on Public Health in Africa.
It brings young Africans together to exchange ideas, present solutions, build networks and contribute directly to conversations shaping Africa’s public health future.
YPC was first launched in Kigali in 2022 and has since grown into a broader youth-engagement platform within Africa CDC’s continental health agenda.
The 2026 edition focuses particularly on Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda and the role young people can play in moving the continent from health dependency towards stronger local ownership and resilience.
Who Should Apply?
Africa CDC is looking for young Africans from a wide range of backgrounds, including:
- Health professionals
- Students
- Researchers
- Innovators
- Entrepreneurs
- Advocates
- Communicators
- Community leaders
You do not necessarily need to be a doctor or clinician.
If your work connects with public health, health systems, digital health, research, innovation, emergency preparedness, local manufacturing, sexual and reproductive health, advocacy or community health, this is worth looking at.
Five Main Tracks
YPC 2026 will focus on 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
- Youth Leadership on Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV
That makes the programme relevant to applicants from considerably more than traditional clinical backgrounds.
Someone working in data science, communication, entrepreneurship, policy, laboratory science or community advocacy may also find a suitable entry point.
What Will Participants Do?
The conference is designed as a working platform rather than simply a networking event.
Participants will have opportunities to exchange ideas, showcase youth-led solutions, build relationships and contribute priorities that can feed into discussions at CPHIA 2026.
Africa CDC says the programme is intended to create stronger links between young Africans and public health leaders, policymakers, researchers, institutions, funders and implementers.
So this is not just:
“Come to Addis Ababa, sit in a hall, collect a tote bag and go home.”
The intention is for participants to contribute to actual continental health conversations.
Is It Fully Funded?
Yes.
Africa CDC’s current announcement states that selected participants will receive full sponsorship to attend both YPC 2026 and CPHIA 2026.
Why This Opportunity Matters
Africa CDC increasingly positions young Africans as contributors to health policy and systems rather than simply beneficiaries of health programmes.
Its Youth Pre-Conference is part of a wider strategy to increase meaningful youth participation in Africa’s health agenda.
The 2026 conference is expected to produce youth priorities and recommendations that can inform discussions and commitments at CPHIA 2026.
If you are already working on something useful in health, research, policy or innovation, this could be an opportunity to put that work in front of a much wider African audience.
Before You Apply
Do not treat the application like a lottery ticket.
Think carefully about the track that fits you.
Be clear about what you are already doing.
Explain the problem you care about.
Show evidence of your involvement rather than filling the form with broad statements about wanting to “transform Africa.”
If you have led a project, conducted research, built a health solution, worked with communities, advocated for a health issue or contributed to a relevant organisation, make that visible.
Africa is a large continent.
“I'm passionate about healthcare” will not tell the selection team very much.
How to Apply
Applications are currently open.
Application deadline: 13 September 2026 at 17:00 EAT.
You can also read the official programme announcement directly from Africa CDC:
Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference 2026 details
Final Word
If you are a young African already contributing to health, research, innovation, policy or community development, this is the kind of opportunity worth examining closely.
It offers more than conference attendance.
It gives selected participants access to a continental platform, other young African leaders and institutions shaping the future of public health.
And because selected participants are fully sponsored, lack of personal travel funding should not automatically stop you from applying.
Just remember the deadline:
13 September 2026, 17:00 EAT.
Apply early.
— BityTech Scholarship Hub
Opportunities Today. Impact Tomorrow.
Disclaimer: BityTech Scholarship Hub is an independent educational and opportunity-information platform. BityTech does not organise or administer the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference and is not affiliated with Africa CDC or the African Union. Applicants should confirm current details through the official Africa CDC announcement before applying.