Africa Ready for the future of health
Africa’s public health future will be shaped by the generation now entering and leading its health systems, institutions, laboratories, research programmes, businesses, communities and policy spaces. YPC 2026 will bring young Africans from across the continent together to help shape that future.
Taking place immediately ahead of the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026), YPC 2026 is the official youth platform for the conference. It will connect young health professionals, students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, communicators and community leaders with one another and with Africa’s public health leadership.
The 2026 edition is anchored in Africa CDC’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda and the CPHIA 2026 ambition to move from health dependency and vulnerability towards ownership and resilience. The focus is practical: who will lead, what Africa will build, and how young Africans can help turn health sovereignty into action.
Call for applications to participate in the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference (YPC 2026) /
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), through its Youth Programme, invites eligible young Africans to express their interest in participating in the Youth Pre-Conference (YPC 2026) that will be held from 21- 22 November 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Taking place immediately ahead of the 5th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2026), YPC 2026 is the official youth platform for the conference. It will connect young health professionals, students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, communicators and community leaders with one another and with Africa’s public health leadership.
Africa’s public health future is being shaped by the generation now entering and leading its health systems, institutions, laboratories, research programmes, businesses, communities and policy spaces. YPC 2026 will bring young Africans from across the continent together to help shape that future.
The 2026 edition is anchored in Africa CDC’s Health Security and Sovereignty agenda and the CPHIA 2026 ambition to move from health dependency and vulnerability towards ownership and resilience. The focus is practical: who will lead, what Africa will build, and how young Africans can help turn health sovereignty into action.
Application deadline: 13 September 2026, 17:00 EAT.Selected applicants will be contacted on 2 October 2026.