The AVoHC Kofi Annan Scholars programme is seeking a Financial Specialist. The programme details are currently not available. Further information will be provided through official channels.

Public health professionals across Africa and the African diaspora can now apply for the Africa CDC Kofi Annan Scholars Program – Strategy Development Expert

Country: Uganda Source: World Health Organization Kampala, Uganda – With support from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with the Government of Uganda to train 78 multidisciplinary One Health responders under the Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE) flagship programme. The AVoHC-SURGE training, a cornerstone of WHO’s Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) strategy, is designed and led by WHO to equip countries with skilled, coordinated teams capable of deploying rapidly during health emergencies. In Uganda, WHO has convened and facilitated a diverse group of participants from multiple sectors, including health, agriculture, internal affairs, animal and fisheries industries, and the Uganda Defence Forces, reflecting the One Health approach to managing threats at the human–animal–environment interface. “This training equips Uganda with the human capacity to respond quickly and decisively when emergencies occur. I commend the Ministry of Health for its leadership and commitment to strengthening emergency readiness,” said Dr Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative to Uganda. Through WHO’s technical guidance, the training immerses participants in intensive sessions covering outbreak investigation, risk assessment, coordination, Gender based violence and Prevention and response of sexual exploitation, abuse and Harassment and rapid deployment operations. Practical simulations and scenario-based exercises replicate the realities of emergency response, ensuring participants are ready for coordinated action in the field. For many participants, the experience is transformative: “I am honoured to attend the AVoHC-SURGE training by WHO Uganda. I gained critical skills in rapid response, coordination, and outbreak investigation, which empowers me to protect lives and build stronger, safer communities,” shared Dr Andama Adinani, one of the participants from the district local government. Others echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing how WHO’s training builds technical capacity and strengthens networks across ministries and disciplines; connections that are critical to a cohesive national response when emergencies strike. The inclusion of responders from multiple ministries underscores the Government of Uganda’s commitment to a multisectoral approach, supported by WHO’s technical expertise. Emergencies such as Ebola, Marburg, cholera, and zoonotic diseases require coordination between human health, animal health, and environmental sectors. By strengthening this integrated response capacity, Uganda, through WHO’s SURGE programme is better prepared to contain outbreaks before they escalate. “Preparedness is an investment in the future. Every skill gained here, every relationship built across ministries, will help us act faster, smarter, and more effectively to protect Ugandans,” Lubwama Benard, Deputy Incident Commander, Ministry of Health. The AvoHC-SURGE initiative, supported by FCDO and implemented by WHO across Africa, has been rolled out in several countries. So far 27 out of the 30 countries have completed their trainings and the details of the trained teams have been uploaded in the responders database. As health threats grow increasingly complex, WHO’s continued support to Uganda in strengthening its national response capacity offers a model for other countries in the region. With a trained cadre of 78 multidisciplinary responders ready for deployment, the country is poised to respond to public health emergencies with speed, precision, and confidence. Designed for impact, this training represents a best preparedness and readiness practice model to improve capacity to manage emergencies, disasters and other climate related emergencies on the African content. For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact: Chinyere Nwonye Emergencies Communications Officer WHO Africa Regional Office nwonyec@who.int +2348034645524

Country: Malawi Source: World Health Organization Lilongwe ‒The Ministry of Health in Malawi with support from World Health Organization and Africa CDC, is currently training the first cohort of 63 emergency responders out of the country’s target of 200 to handle public health emergencies in Malawi and beyond. AVoHC is a reference to Africa CDC’s initiative “Africa CDC’s African Volunteer Health Corps initiative.” SURGE is a reference to WHO’s initiative, “Strengthening & Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies.” The AVoHC-SURGE training aims to ensure that African countries are prepared to respond to health emergencies and humanitarian crises within 24 to 48 hours from the time of the incident, and Malawi is among the 16 countries to benefit from the training so far. Malawi has responded to several emergencies in the recent past including COVID-19, Polio, Tropical Storms, Tropical Cyclones, and the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history. After-Action Reviews (AAR) of the Cyclone Freddy and cholera responses were conducted recently and one of the key priority actions proposed from both AARs was strengthening response capacities. This training therefore comes at an opportune time for Malawi to strengthen the existing structures to respond more efficiently and effectively to crises, limit the interruption of essential health services, minimize socio-economic disruptions, and contribute to enhancing global health security. The training commenced on 9 October in Mponela and consists of four modules: Public Health Emergency Operating Center (PHEOC), Humanitarian and Health Cluster Coordination, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PRSEAH) in Emergencies, and Rapid Response Teams (RRT). Addressing trainees in Mponela, WHO Representative Dr. Neema Kimambo expressed gratitude to the Government of Malawi for its heightened commitment to building resilient health systems in the country and pledged WHO’s support. “I would like to assure you of WHO’s commitment to mobilizing resources to support the country in implementing the EPR flagship initiatives, including full implementation the AVoHC SURGE training. This initiative will translate lessons learnt from the pandemic into African driven solutions that reflect regional, national, and local needs,” she said. Cognizant of the need to better prepare for, detect and respond to emergencies, the WHO African Regional Office (AFRO) and Africa CDC initiated the flagship strategies: Promoting Resilience of Systems for Emergencies (PROSE), Transforming African Surveillance Systems (TASS), and Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE). Prior to this training, WHO worked with the government and partners in Malawi to develop and validate the roadmap for implementing the Flagship initiative after the introduction of the Flagship initiative through a joint WHO AFRO and country office scoping mission. The initiative translates lessons learnt from the pandemic into African driven solutions that reflect regional, national, and local needs. Officiating the training, Mr. Ben Mbwana, Director of Administration speaking on behalf of the Secretary for Health voiced concern over the magnitude of the recent Tropical Cyclone Freddy and Cholera outbreak, with profound impact on the population, saying it underscores the urgency of bolstering the country’s public health emergency and disaster response capacities. “The AVoHC SURGE training will produce AVoHC SURGE Rapid Responders, to form a critical component of our preparedness and response program capacities. Their ability to deploy within 48 hours of an emergency is a testament to the agility and preparedness we aspire to achieve,” said Mbwana. Rev. Moses Chimphepo, Director of Preparedness and Response at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), lauded the initiative, pointing out that having responders who are ready to be deployed will change the approach to disaster response from remote support of the Emergency Operation Centre to rapid support on the ground. Malawi is recovering from a deadly cholera outbreak in history that claimed at least 1 768 lives with a high Case Fatality Ratio of 3%. To date, a total of 59 013 cases has been recorded.

Country: Central African Republic Source: World Health Organization Bangui – Le Président de la République Centrafricaine (RCA), le Pr Faustin-Archange Touadera, a présidé la cérémonie de graduation de 66 experts nationaux multidisciplinaires formés dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du programme AVoHC-SURGE « Renforcement et utilisation des équipes d’intervention d’urgence » qui vise à former 3 000 experts pour réagir rapidement et efficacement aux urgences sanitaires en Afrique. La RCA, l’un des pays pilotes du programme SURGE, a renforcé ses capacités de riposte par la mise à disposition de ressources humaines compétentes selon l’approche « une seule santé », une coordination robuste de la riposte et un accès à des stocks d’urgence pré-positionnés dans tout le pays. Les 66 experts sélectionnés au sein de 13 départements ministériels ont suivi une série de formation du 26 avril au 04 août 2023, coordonnée par le Bureau régional de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé pour l’Afrique avec la participation des experts nationaux et internationaux et sur financement des gouvernements Américain et Allemand et la Fondation Bill et Mélinda Gates. La formation a porté sur quatre modules. Le premier concerne le centre des opérations des urgences en santé publique et le système de gestion des incidents, qui constitue le cadre d’action d’urgence. Le deuxième module a outillé sur l’aperçu humanitaire et le groupe organique santé. Le troisième module a regroupé différentes thématiques à savoir l’équipe d'intervention rapide, le laboratoire, la prévention et le contrôle de l'infection et la communication externe lors d’une urgence de santé publique. Le dernier module a pris en compte les violences basées sur le genre, la prévention et la réponse à l'exploitation, à l'abus et au harcèlement sexuels lors des situations d'urgence. « Disposer de ressources humaines qualifiées est le fondement de la sécurité sanitaire mondiale. Cette équipe est dotée des capacités essentielles pour la réponse aux épidémies, aux problèmes de santé publique et aux crises humanitaires. L’impact de la formation administrée s’étend au-delà de la communauté, de la région et même de la nation », a indiqué le Dr Ngoy Nsenga, Représentant de l’OMS en RCA. « Avec les compétences acquises dans la formation SURGE, la RCA est mieux équipée pour faire face à ces menaces dans le domaine de la santé publique. » C’est pour rendre l’équipe AVoHC-SURGE RCA entièrement opérationnelle que cette cérémonie de remise de certificat a été organisée et couplée à la réunion du comité de crise sur la COVID-19 présidé par le Président de la République. Etaient présents des membres du gouvernement, des parlementaires, des chefs de missions diplomatiques, consulaires et représentants des organisations internationales, des leaders religieux et communautaires ainsi que des acteurs du secteur de la santé et de la société civile. « Nos cadres formés pourront ainsi rejoindre, en cas de besoin, le pool des experts internationaux de la Région africaine de l’OMS et partager au niveau continental et mondial notre expérience et notre savoir-faire », a rassuré le Président le Pr Faustin-Archange Touadera. « La République Centrafricaine est le premier pays pilote de l’OMS pour le processus d’examen de l’état de santé et de préparation aux urgences sanitaires mieux connu sous le sigle anglo-saxon UHPR. A ce titre, notre pays est l’un des pays bénéficiaires et participants à trois programmes phases de l’OMS pour le renforcement de la capacité à la riposte à l’épidémie dans la Région africaine », a-t-il rappelé. La RCA a accompli des progrès considérables dans la sécurité sanitaire, en s’appuyant sur divers cadres et conventions mondiaux, régionaux et nationaux, notamment le Règlement sanitaire international (RSI, 2005), le Guide technique pour la surveillance intégrée des maladies et riposte (SIMR), l’UHPR, l’évaluation externe conjointe ainsi que les plans de développement sanitaire de troisième génération et d’action nationaux pour la sécurité sanitaire (NAPHS) 2022-2026. Le programme AVoHC-SURGE fait partie des trois initiatives phares de l’OMS Afrique modelé selon les meilleures pratiques et inspiré des leçons apprises de la pandémie de COVID-19. Il est basé sur les connaissances nécessaires pour gérer tous les types de crises sanitaires et se concentre sur le renforcement des capacités pour prévenir, détecter et répondre aux menaces de santé publique.

The AvoHC-SURGE initiative, supported by FCDO and implemented by WHO across Africa, has been rolled out in several countries

This intensive program focused on enhancing participants' ability to effectively mobilize human resources and respond to humanitarian crises and health emergencies within the crucial first 48 hours

Fifty Liberian professionals have successfully completed a one-month AVoHC-SURGE training program designed to strengthen the country's capacity to respond to public health emergencies. This collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Liberian government with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Canadian government, aims to bolster the country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

Fifty Liberian professionals have successfully completed a one-month AVoHC-SURGE training program designed to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies. This collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Liberian government with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Canadian government, aims to bolster the country’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

In Burundi, teams adapted to local languages and realities to deliver training, surveillance, and response activities. Multidisciplinary AVoHC deployments continue to strengthen national rapid response and public health capacity. -- Au Burundi, les équipes se sont adaptées aux langues et aux réalités locales pour mener les activités de formation, de surveillance et de riposte. Les déploiements AVoHC renforcent durablement les capacités nationales.

Forged in the lessons of Ebola, the African Health Volunteers Corps (AVoHC) stands as Africa’s frontline human shield against outbreaks. Trained, equipped, and ready for rapid deployment, AVoHC brings together African health professionals to stop the spread of infections, strengthen national response capacity, and ensure Africa responds to health emergencies with its own expertise — faster, closer, and in solidarity. --- Né des leçons tirées de l’épidémie d’Ebola, le Corps Africain de Volontaires de la Santé (AVoHC) constitue la première ligne de défense du continent face aux épidémies. Formés, équipés et prêts à être déployés rapidement, les membres de l’AVoHC renforcent les capacités nationales, freinent la propagation des infections et permettent à l’Afrique de répondre aux urgences sanitaires avec ses propres experts — plus rapidement et plus efficacement. #AfricaCDC #AVoHC