Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Technical Officer - Surveillance (AfCDC)

at African Union

🏢 About African Union

Africa CDC is the African Union's specialized public health agency, uniquely positioned to coordinate continental disease surveillance and response across 55 member states. Working here offers the rare opportunity to directly impact health security across Africa through pan-African collaboration, making it ideal for professionals passionate about strengthening health systems at a continental scale.

About This Role

This Senior Technical Officer role focuses on leading multi-faceted surveillance systems for epidemic intelligence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and mortality tracking across Africa. It's impactful because you'll be at the forefront of detecting and mitigating cross-border health threats, directly contributing to Africa's capacity to prevent and control disease outbreaks before they become crises.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves analyzing incoming epidemic intelligence reports from across Africa, coordinating with national surveillance focal points to verify potential threats, and participating in regional calls to harmonize AMR data collection approaches. You might spend the afternoon developing guidance documents for mortality surveillance systems and preparing briefing materials for cross-border collaboration meetings with neighboring countries.

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🎯 Who African Union Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of experience designing or managing public health surveillance systems in African contexts, particularly for epidemic intelligence or AMR
  • Demonstrates expertise in harmonizing surveillance protocols across different countries or regions, with knowledge of WHO/Africa CDC guidelines
  • Possesses strong coordination skills for working with multiple stakeholders including national health ministries, laboratories, and regional health bodies
  • Has experience with real-time data analysis for outbreak detection and cross-border information sharing mechanisms

📝 Tips for Applying to African Union

1

Highlight specific experience with media scanning tools (like Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources) and signal verification processes used in public health surveillance

2

Detail any work harmonizing surveillance protocols between countries, especially in Africa - mention specific countries or regions where you've worked

3

Emphasize your understanding of Africa CDC's New Public Health Order and how your experience aligns with strengthening continental health security

4

Include examples of coordinating with multiple African countries simultaneously, as cross-border collaboration is central to this role

5

Show familiarity with Africa CDC's surveillance initiatives like the Event-Based Surveillance system or AMR surveillance network

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your direct experience with epidemic intelligence activities in African contexts, including specific tools or methodologies used', 'Examples of successfully establishing or improving surveillance systems that involved multiple stakeholders across different countries', 'How your work has contributed to early detection or prevention of health threats, particularly in cross-border situations', "Your understanding of Africa CDC's mandate and how you can support their goal of strengthening member states' surveillance capacities"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Africa CDC's Strategic Plan 2023-2027, particularly the surveillance and disease intelligence pillars
  • → The Africa CDC's Event-Based Surveillance framework and their Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines
  • → Recent Africa CDC initiatives like the Pathogen Genomics Initiative or Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network
  • → The African Union's Agenda 2063 and how health security fits into continental development goals

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would design and implement a mortality surveillance system to detect unusual patterns across multiple African countries
2 Describe your experience with AMR surveillance protocol harmonization and how you ensure alignment with different national policies
3 How would you facilitate real-time information sharing between neighboring countries during a suspected cross-border health threat?
4 What strategies would you use to ensure data quality from diverse clinical and laboratory sites across different African health systems?
5 How do you stay updated on emerging public health threats in Africa and what verification processes do you consider most effective?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with only generic global health experience without demonstrating specific knowledge of African public health systems and challenges
  • Failing to show understanding of the political and operational complexities of working across multiple African countries with different health infrastructures
  • Presenting surveillance experience that's purely theoretical without concrete examples of implementation in resource-limited settings

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to African Union!

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