A group of people in Africa pictured under a tree, including men, women and children

Brighton and Sussex Medical School will work with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and other partners in the UK and Africa on a new £11.8m PhD fellowship programme to train a new generation of world-class researchers focused on improving health and wellbeing in Africa.

Funded by Wellcome, the programme will support 25 UK registered and practising healthcare professionals, including nurses, midwives and allied healthcare professionals, to study for PhDs on global health in Africa. A further 25 matched fellowships will be offered by the UK partner institutions to African fellows working across the six African partner institutions, creating a unique blended cohort of 50 doctoral fellows recruited over five years. 

The Wellcome PhD Programme for Health Professionals in Global Health Research in Africa will have a strong focus on strengthening EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) and improving research culture. Research areas will include those of public health importance in Africa such as infectious diseases, sexual and reproductive health, maternal, child and adolescent health, non-communicable diseases and mental health. 

Gail Davey, Professor of Global Health Epidemiology at BSMS, commented: "We're delighted to be part of this consortium, and welcome the inclusion of a wide range of health professionals and matched African fellows. This is an important step in equity within global health research."

Professor Abebaw Fekadu, Head of CDT-Africa at Addis Ababa University, BSMS’ Ethiopian partner, said: “Shortage of a skilled workforce is a major development threat for Africa. The advanced training in this programme will contribute meaningfully to addressing this threat.

“An important aspect of the programme is the cross-country network of partnerships, which will enable fellows, faculty and institutions to work together and learn from each other. This relationship will nurture sustainable partnership and impactful research opportunities.

“We are pleased to be part of this important academic partnership and our commitment is for a longer term, productive, empowering and mutually beneficial engagement.”    

Partners in the programme include the LSHTM, the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, the Biomedical Research and Training Institute and the Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, both in Zimbabwe; the Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials (CDT-Africa) at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Zambart at the University of Zambia; Queen Mary University of London; St George’s, University of London; and King’s College London.