Celebrating the Second Cohort of the Southern Africa PHEPRR Fellowship

The second cohort of the Southern Africa Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery (PHEPRR) Fellowship brought together 20 public health professionals from across the region for the closing week of the six-month fellowship in Johannesburg, South Africa, from September 21–25, 2026. The training was supported by the US CDC, ICAP at Columbia University, and HSP.

Building on the Fellowship’s first training week in March, virtual programming, and mentorship support, participants put Public Health Emergency Management principles into practice through functional exercises and capstone projects. The real-world application of the capstone projects in their local programs and communities created innovative, immediate changes that strengthen preparedness, response, and resilience.

The PHEPRR Fellowship has once again created a growing cohort of public health leaders equipped to prepare for, respond to, and recover from health emergencies — strengthening the systems that keep communities safer when outbreaks strike. Congratulations to the Fellows on completing this milestone, and thank you to the mentors for supporting stronger public health emergency systems across Southern Africa!