Africa SIG
Vision and Aims
The FPH Africa Special Interest Group (SIG) has been established to represent the response and contribution of health professionals towards the development and implementation of effective and sustainable solutions to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of people in Africa.
Objectives:
- Enable public health professionals from the SIG to provide equitable support to all countries across the African continent.
- Focus efforts to add value to improving public health in Africa by acting as an umbrella group with an overview of the work being
undertaken by several partner groups. - Offer cost-effective public health consultancy to Africa on a charitable basis. Also volunteer the skills, expertise and time of its members.
- Work with partner organisations in the UK and elsewhere; and establish and maintain a two-way respectful partnership with public health partners in Africa.
Webinar recordings
Faculty members can visit the FPH Members Portal to watch webinar recordings.
Africa SIG resources
- Tobacco supply and demand strategies used in African countries
- Infection prevention and control in primary care: a toolkit of resources
Join the Africa SIG
The Africa SIG is co-chaired by Dr Victor Joseph. The Vice-Chair is Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope. The group reports to the Faculty's Global Health Committee. You can contact the SIG Chair and Vice-Chair at AfricaSIG@fph.org.uk.
FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.
SIG Workplan
Activity: Capacity building through a programme of regular learning webinars and resource sharing/ development; and organising Africa SIG Conference.
Outcome:
- New knowledge / information / resources shared
- Connections made
- Topics of interest covered
- More members to the SIG
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
- Dr Emma Davies
- Dr. Hadjer Nacer
Progress to date:
Outputs:
- Webinars conducted
- Africa SIG conference
Activity: Mentoring/coaching public health professionals (e.g. trainees, specialists)
Outcome:
- Mentoring offer through Peoples-praxis
- Better International Health Regulation (IHR) system in
Africa - Trained and competent public health workforce
- A mentoring offer for colleagues in Malawi/SA
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Hannah Patrick
- Dr Toks
- Dr Victor Joseph
- Dr Anne Dobble
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
- Dr. Hadjer Nacer
- Fatai Ogunlayi
Progress to date:
Outputs: Activities / programme of mentoring / coaching undertaken
Activity: Placement Opportunities: World Health Organisation, Africa CDC and others.
Outcome:
- Improved health in Africa
- High quality of specialist public health workforce well versed in Global Health.
- New partnership for placement of Public Health registrars with WHO and Africa CDC.
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Victor Joseph
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Fatai Ogunlayi
Progress to date:
Outputs: Placement opportunities for registrars
Activity: Engaging FPH professionals based in African institutions
Outcome:
- Engaging FPH members in Africa in the SIG programme
- Nominate members for FPH honorary memberships
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Hadjer Nacer
- Dr Victor Joseph
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
Progress to date:
Outputs: Africa SIG members Session / Webinars
Activity: Implement a 3-year MOU (2018-2021) between the FPH and South Africa College of Public Health
Outcome: Improved training of public health specialists in South Africa
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Victor Joseph
- Fatai Ogunlayi
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
- Lily Makurah
- Dr Hadjer Nacer
Progress to date:
Outputs:
- Conduct 2 Webinar per year on topic agreed by MOU partners.
- Quarterly meetings of MOU partners.
Activity: Strengthen Anti-microbial Stewardship (AMS): Continue to support existing CwPAMS projects in Africa - March 2025
Outcome:
Improved antimicrobial stewards in Africa:
- FPH and Ghana
- FPH and Calabar (Nigeria)
- University of Nottingham and Kenya
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Sam Ghebrehewet
- Edwin Panford-Quaninoo
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Dr Akan Out
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
Progress to date:
Outputs: Share reports of progress on anti-microbial stewardship work in selected countries where partnership work is in progress.
Activity:
Explore new Partnership in Africa:
- Contribute to the application process for Fleming Fund CwPAMS projects.
- Somaliland & Somalia MoH and hospitals have expressed a strong interest.
Outcome:
- Successful application for Fleming Fund CwPAMS project(s)
- New partnership established
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
Progress to date:
Outputs: Application(s) submitted and outcome(s)
Activity: Strengthen link with academic institutions
Outcome:
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) NIHR programme of NCDs in Ghana/Burkina Faso
- UCL Global health team and work with WAHO
- African academic institutions (including MOU with South Africa)
Target date: March 2026
Named lead:
- Dr Hadjer Nacer
- Dr Victor Joseph
- Prof Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- Dr Fatumo Abdi
- Fatai Ogunlayi
Progress to date: New item
Outputs: Engagements activities with Academic Institutions in Africa
Activity: Climate and Health
Outcome: Establish meaningful partnerships in collaboration with Sustainable Development SIG
Target date: March 2026
Named lead: Dr Emma Davies
Progress to date:
- An FPH blog was published with colleagues in SD SIG
- FPH statements with other SIGs on Floods in Libya, earthquake in Morocco and ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Outputs: Activity report of work in collaboration with Sustainable Development SIG
