The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the African Union has announced the selection of Tebello Kolobe, a field epidemiologist with the Ministry of Health, as the latest Lesotho Fellow at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Kolobe, who works under the Environmental Health Department, is among nineteen fellows from across Africa chosen for the second cohort of the Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Fellowship. The six-month program, run under the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, focuses on equipping mid-career public health professionals with the skills to manage Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) and lead emergency preparedness and response initiatives.
The fellowship offers a combination of classroom training led by seasoned public health experts, mentorship, study tours to PHEOCs within and outside Africa, and field placements across the continent. It emphasizes practical skills in incident management, rapid response, and emergency coordination. A strong focus is also placed on the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health to prevent and control outbreaks while strengthening resilient health systems.
For Lesotho, Kolobe’s participation comes at a critical time as the country works to establish its national PHEOC. He highlighted that the knowledge and experience gained through the program will directly support this national effort and allow him to build the capacity of his colleagues through shared skills and training.
Kolobe expressed gratitude to Africa CDC for investing in African public health leadership and to the Government of Lesotho, particularly the Ministry of Health, for supporting his participation. He encouraged fellow Basotho in the public health sector to embrace similar opportunities available across the continent, not only in public health but also in other development fields.
Through this fellowship, Lesotho strengthens its role in continental health preparedness and ensures its professionals are part of Africa’s growing network of public health leaders committed to safeguarding the future of the continent.
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