Addis Ababa, March 23, 2026 — The Youth Digital Health Network (YiDHN), a strategic initiative of Africa CDC’s Youth Division, has announced the 2026 Cohort of Young Digital Health Champions (Y-DHC), recognizing emerging young leaders shaping Africa’s digital health landscape.

With over 65% of Africa’s population under the age of 35, investing in youth leadership is critical to advancing health security, digital transformation, and economic growth across the continent.

The Y-DHC Program identifies, profiles, and connects dynamic young leaders who are actively shaping the digital health landscape in Africa. Through this initiative, Africa CDC is leveraging the continent’s demographic advantage to accelerate youth-led solutions in health innovation and service delivery. These champions will serve as role models, advocates, and collaborators to advance innovation, policy, and practice in digital health. The initiative aims to build a visible and impactful network to inform policy, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, and amplify youth leadership across the continent.

Over the next 12 months, fifty (50) young African professionals will engage in capacity building, policy dialogue, and collaborative initiatives, advancing digital health innovation, policy, and practice across diverse regions and contexts.

By connecting emerging leaders with policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders, the programme aims to accelerate the translation of digital solutions into scalable and sustainable health interventions.

“As Champions, these young leaders will play a central role in advancing youth engagement in digital health across Africa. They will champion youth-driven health policies, promote local innovation, strengthen digital literacy and technical capacity and connect with peers and global stakeholders to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage,” said Dr. Chrys Promesse Kaniki, Youth Division Lead, Africa CDC.

Recognizing the transformative role of young African professionals in shaping the future of healthcare and achieving Universal Health Coverage in Africa, the YiDHN provides a structured platform for capacity building, collaboration, and policy engagement across the continent.

The YiDHN’s thematic areas align with broader strategic objectives aimed at strengthening digital capacity and training among young people; engaging youth in governance and regulatory processes; facilitating access to financing and sustainable scaling pathways; and connecting young innovators with key digital health stakeholders.

The new cohort was selected from thousands of applications across Africa and the diaspora. The diversity and scale of applications reflect the growing momentum of youth-led innovation in Africa’s digital health ecosystem. These young innovators and professionals have been selected to represent the next generation of digital health leadership on the continent.

This initiative is part of the implementation of the Africa CDC Strategy for Youth Engagement and Participation in Health (YES!Health Strategy) 2025-2028, which positions young people not only as beneficiaries, but as architects of Africa’s vision for health security and sovereignty.

“We welcome these young leaders at the forefront of the technological revolution. Together, we are building a healthier and more prosperous Africa,” said Dr Kaniki.

About Africa CDC

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.africacdc.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Media Contact

Margaret Edwin

Director of Communication and Public Information | EdwinM@africacdc.org

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DOWNLOAD | Y-DHC 2026 Cohort Western Africa