African Paediatric Fellowship Programme

The African Paediatrics Fellowship Program (APFP) aims to enhance paediatric healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa by providing advanced training to African medical professionals, in top-ranking African universities and hospitals. This fellowship is part of a broader mission to create sustainable impacts in health, education, and economic development in Africa.

The APFP program is funded by a number of institutions/foundations but the main funding for the Wits APFP program comes from the ELMA Foundation. Donor funding covers tuition, professional fees and living expenses for the fellows during their training.

Candidates are selected by a network of academic partner institutions across Africa (39 institutions from 17 African countries), who choose the candidates for the program, ensuring that subspecialists positions are available to them upon completion of training.

The APFP fellows are primarily from and are returning to the public health system, where the need for child-health specialists is the greatest. APFP has successfully managed to retain > 90% of graduates in their home country, expanding on available resources, leading child health services, training, and research.

Confirm your eligibility for APFP support

An African citizen.
A medical doctor or allied health professional.
Age < 45 years.
Applying for a programme of study that is not available in your home country.
Nominated for training by appropriate leadership within your home institution.
Affiliated with a University Teaching/Government/Public Hospital in Africa.
Requesting to study a specialty or sub-specialty appropriate to your nominating centre.
Granted a leave of absence by your referring institution and guaranteed employment on return.
Able to prove an intention to return home upon completion of training.
Proficient in the English language at the level required by Wits.

Fellows who can demonstrate a passion and commitment to the evolution of specialist child healthcare services at home and across the continent.

A photocopy of your passport photo page
An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae or resume
A copy of degree certificates and transcripts
A personal motivation letter including information about the healthcare situation in your country and/or region, how training with the APFP would help meet the needs of your current centre, and details on any specific skills you would like to acquire.
A letter of support from your Head of Department or local APFP programme or sub-specialty lead explaining the need for additional capacity, the reasons behind candidate selection, and plans for your return.
A named home supervisor who will support you during your fellowship in South Africa and on your return home. Supervisors will receive regular assessments of your progress and may be your Head of Department, or another experienced clinical academic in your chosen field.
A letter of reference from a selected supervisor or colleague
Proof of English language proficiency IELTS score preferably >7 if English is not your first, home or schooling language. Test available via Wits.

Online Application

All candidates for supernumerary positions must complete the mandatory African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP) online application.

?Application Link

Please access the fellowship application portal for all APFP centers via the following link:APFP Application Portal

?Institutional Preferences

You are required to rank your top three preferred training centers (1–3)

?Wits Placement

To be considered for a position at our institution, please ensure you select University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) as your first-choice preference.

Join the APFP Fellowship Program in Johannesburg, and this experience will be both enriching and rewarding. Your dedication to advancing healthcare in Africa is commendable, and we will be honoured to support you in this endeavour. We wish you success with your application.

African Paediatric Fellowship Programme

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