Youth Digital Health Champions (Y-DHC) Program 2025

Omran Aburayya
6 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Are you a passionate young innovator shaping the future of digital health in Africa? The Youth Digital Health Champions (Y-DHC) Program 2025, under the Youth in Digital Health Network (YiDHN) by Africa CDC, is calling for applications! This initiative empowers youth to lead digital health transformation—through recognition, engagement, networking, and capacity building. Here's everything you need to know.

🧭 Program at a Glance

Location: Pan-African (citizens or residents of African Union member states; diaspora eligible)
Program Type: Fellowship-style recognition and engagement program (not academic degree)
Target Group: Africans aged 18–35 actively involved in digital health innovation, research, academia, public health programs, policy, advocacy, or capacity building
Fields of Focus: Digital health innovation, research/academia, public health digital tools, policy/advocacy, capacity building and digital literacy
Value & Coverage: Non-monetary; includes visibility, networking, capacity building, potential seed funding, mentorship, and participation in key forums
Award Duration: 12 months
Application Deadline: September 14, 2025, 11:00 PM GMT+3
Program Start: Shortly after selections (announced around September 20, 2025)

🌍 Program Overview

The Y-DHC Program is part of Africa CDC’s Youth in Digital Health Network (YiDHN), aiming to catalyze youth-led innovation in digital health across Africa. It seeks young leaders who are already making an impact—through startups, research, advocacy, capacity building, or public health initiatives—and positions them as Champions and advocates to influence policy, scale innovations, and nurture ecosystems across the continent .

🎁 Programme Benefits & Offerings

Visibility & Recognition: Champions gain featured profiles and stories across Africa CDC and YiDHN platforms, boosting their visibility regionally and continentally .
Access to High-Level Convenings: Invitations to participate in YiDHN webinars, policy dialogues, and Africa CDC forums, with select Champions attending the Africa HealthTech Summit (#AHTS2025) .
Peer Networking & Collaboration: Connection to a vibrant, cross-continental community of digital health innovators and advocates for shared learning and joint initiatives .
Capacity Building & Policy Engagement: Priority access to training, workshops, and policy engagements aimed at advancing leadership, technical, and advocacy skills .
Support for Scale-Up & Expansion: Opportunities for seed funding, mentorship, access to innovation challenges, accelerator programs, fellowships, and support through strategic partnerships .

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Age: Be between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application .
Nationality/Residency: Hold citizenship or residency in an African Union member state; diaspora applicants are also eligible .
Language Proficiency: Be proficient in at least one of the following: English, French, Arabic, Portuguese. Cross-lingual engagement is a plus .
Engagement in Digital Health: Demonstrate active involvement in digital health via:
- Innovation (e.g., startup founder or technology developer)
- Research and academia
- Public health programs using digital tools
- Policy development or advocacy
- Capacity building or digital literacy initiatives .

🔍 Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated based on:

Leadership and Initiative (45%): Demonstrated leadership in digital health initiatives, personal initiative, problem-solving, resilience, and contributions to YiDHN’s focus areas (capacity building, governance, scaling innovation, stakeholder mobilization) .
Impact and Innovation (25%): Proven outcomes or potential impact through creative and locally relevant digital tools or solutions addressing healthcare challenges .
Motivation and Potential for Growth and Influence (30%): Strong motivation to engage in digital health and willingness to participate in future YiDHN activities like webinars and policy dialogues .

📝 Application Procedure

To apply:

Complete the application form before September 14, 2025, 11:00 PM GMT+3 .
Submit a CV/resume (maximum 2 pages) .
Include one letter of recommendation .
Optionally, attach links to relevant projects, publications, or media .
Selections will be announced around September 20, 2025 .