Empowering Africa’s health leaders

News

Posted on Thursday 21 May 2026

The Thanzi Programme has launched its dedicated Studentship Programme webpage, as part of our mission to build sustainable health economics capacity across Africa.

Since its inception, the Thanzi Studentship Programme has addressed the shortage of local health economics expertise within African national health systems. While governments face increasingly complex decisions regarding healthcare resource allocation, postgraduate training opportunities on the continent remain scarce.

Bridging the Gap

The Thanzi Programme’s solution is practical and impactful. By providing tuition fee waivers for the University of York’s world-class Health Economics Distance Learning (HEDL) MSc, we enable Ministry of Health officials and public university researchers to gain world-class training without leaving their posts or their home countries.

"I have been able to support various departments in the Ministry of Health to cost their policies or implementation strategies without having to engage external consultants"

- Japheth Athanasio Omondi, 2024-2027 Thanzi Studentship recipient, Kenya.

The Urgent Need for Support

Demand is high and proves the urgent need for local expertise.

500+ applications received for a limited number of places.
17 active students currently studying
11 African nations represented

To meet this overwhelming interest, we are launching a Call for Sponsorship. We are seeking partners, including foundations, corporations, and individual philanthropists, to help us fund future students and cohorts.

A gift of £27,744 supports one student through their entire three-year MSc, representing a direct investment in the resilience of a national health system.

Get Involved

We invite our partners, alumni, and the wider global health community to explore our new page to read student testimonials, understand our impact, and learn how to support the programme.

Explore the hub: Visit and share the new Studentship Programme webpage

Sponsor a studentship: Contact the team at thanzi-project-studentships@york.ac.uk

Together, we can support the next generation of African health leaders to develop the tools they need to build equitable and sustainable healthcare for all.