Last month, Professor Leah C. Neubauer of the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Chair of the ASPPH Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship Task Force traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to participate in a curriculum review workshop and meet with the Fellowship’s Technical Advisory Committee. Her visit marked an important next step in ASPPH’s collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to strengthen the PHEM Fellowship and advance emergency preparedness workforce development across the continent.

In 2024, at the request of Africa CDC, ASPPH convened the PHEM Fellowship Task Force, bringing together experts from ASPPH member institutions and colleagues from the Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA) to assess the fellowship and provide regional insight.

The Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of fellowship materials and produced a report outlining key findings and recommendations to support the fellowship’s continued development and expansion. During the Nairobi workshop, participants reviewed the Task Force’s findings and explored next steps for the ASPPH–Africa CDC partnership. Neubauer also serves as a member of the Fellowship teaching faculty alongside colleagues from across the globe. This engagement aligns with Africa CDC’s ongoing commitment to building sustainable, locally driven emergency management capacity across the continent.

ASPPH looks forward to continuing to support Africa CDC and partners in strengthening the public health emergency management workforce.