African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) launches Mentorship Program Call for Applications

Dakar, Senegal, 30 July 2024 – The African Women in Digital Health (AWiDH) movement proudly announces the launch of the call for applications for its mentorship program. Designed to enhance the representation and leadership of African women in the digital health sector by bolstering their business acumen and leadership skills, supporting them to thrive in the digital health space.

Ahead of Pan African Women’s Day, which recognizes women being key contributors towards achieving Africa’s inclusive growth and sustainable development agenda, AWiDH opens the call for applications to female founders aged between 20-40 years old, who are nationals or resident of any African country. Applicants need to show their digital health solution caters to the needs of an underserved population and is a measurable improvement compared to current public health solutions widely available. Applications are open until 23:59 GMT on 30 August 2024.

The transformative change needed in our healthcare systems will be driven by women, who are already at the forefront of delivering healthcare and understand the unique needs of their communities. The AWiDH mentorship program is a catalyst for such transformation, amplifying the efforts of women entrepreneurs who utilize technology to enhance healthcare access across the continent and enhance our progress to achieving the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Cyril Seck, Digital Strategy Advisor, Africa CDC.

The Mentorship program will be a mixture of one-on-one mentorship from leading African women in the technology sector and a week-long immersion program, is a fast-paced and dynamic experience and challenges mentees to grow their creativity in business strategy, leadership, product development, marketing, branding, and finance. The week-long immersion program will take place from 21-25 October, just ahead of the Third Africa Health Tech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Mentees will also have the chance to attend the Summit taking place from 29-31 October and meet industry leaders, visionaries, and policymakers to forge transformative partnerships and drive meaningful change in digital healthcare delivery across Africa.

Under the leadership of the African Union and Africa CDC, Speak Up Africa is implementing the AWiDH mentorship program, with technical and financial support from Resolve to Save Lives.

Mentoring women in Africa’s digital health space can help them navigate socio-cultural barriers that hinder their involvement by offering guidance, practical advice, and strengthening their business and leadership skills. This support is essential for scaling up their innovations to impact more underserved Africans, bridging the digital divide, and fostering an inclusive digital health ecosystem centered on both equality and equity.

Anicia Santos, Senior Solutions Architect, Prevent Epidemics at Resolve to Save Lives

Applications for the AWiDH mentorship program are open from 30 July 2024 until 30 August. Interested candidates can apply here