AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship 2026 by One Young World
Country: South Africa
City: Cape Town
Organization: One Young World / AstraZeneca
Category: Fellowship
Deadline: 12 April 2026
Duration: One Young World Summit: 3–6 November 2026; proposed project: 6–12 months
The AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship 2026 is open to young leaders aged 18 to 30 who are creating positive change for people, society, and the planet. Through this opportunity, selected Fellows will attend the One Young World Summit in Cape Town and join a wider programme designed to support youth-led action in health equity, climate and nature, and health systems resilience.
Program Focus
AstraZeneca is seeking young leaders who are advancing practical change in one of three areas. The first is health equity, with a focus on early action to prevent non-communicable diseases among young people or support for young people living with rare diseases. The second is climate and nature, particularly work that addresses the harmful effects of climate change on the health and well-being of young people. The third is health systems resilience, including efforts that contribute to stronger systems built around earlier intervention and future disease prevention.
Fellowship Benefits
Selected Fellows will receive a fully funded scholarship to attend the 2026 One Young World Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, taking place from 3 to 6 November 2026. They will also gain access to the One Young World Ambassador Network and the Young Health Programme Alumni group.
The fellowship also includes structured learning and development support. This includes self-directed and live learning opportunities, access to the One Young World Academy mini-MBA programme, mentorship from AstraZeneca colleagues, and professional training.
In addition, each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either USD 10,000 or USD 50,000 through their non-profit organisation. Applicants will automatically be considered for the USD 50,000 Lead2030 award for Sustainable Development Goal 3 if eligible. The grant must be used for a project focused on advancing health equity, taking action on climate and nature, or building health systems resilience.
Eligibility
Applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old, although the selection committee may consider applications from those over 30 if they can demonstrate appropriate personal impact, initiative, and willingness to engage. Applicants must also be proficient in English and able to participate fully in person at the One Young World Summit in Cape Town from 2 to 7 November 2026. Nationals of all countries are eligible to apply.
They must be willing to share insights, help co-create commitments to action, foster partnerships, and serve as ambassadors of AstraZeneca’s health equity and Young Health Programme work where appropriate. They must also have internet access and a device that allows participation in live online fellowship sessions, as these will not be provided.
Non-Profit Organisation Requirements
Applicants must be founders or leaders of registered non-profit organisations. These organisations must have been registered and operational for at least three full years and must operate in underserved communities.
To be considered for the USD 10,000 grant, the organisation must have had a total reported income in the last financial year of more than USD 10,000 and less than USD 1,000,000. To be considered for the USD 50,000 grant, the organisation must have had a total reported income in the last financial year of more than USD 100,000 and less than USD 2,000,000.
The organisation must also be funding-ready and able to provide documentation in English to AstraZeneca’s grant-making partner, the Charities Aid Foundation, to verify charitable status, governance, and financial situation. This verification process can take three to six months and begins after Fellows are selected. If the required documentation is not available, the organisation may not receive the grant and the fellowship may be withdrawn.
Project Requirements
Applicants must propose a project lasting 6 to 12 months. The project must focus on one of the listed areas: health equity, climate and nature action, or health systems resilience.
Under health equity, projects may focus on preventing chronic diseases by addressing the five major behavioural risk factors linked to non-communicable diseases among young people: tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, and air pollution. Projects may also support young people living with rare diseases. Climate and nature action projects must address issues at the intersection of climate, nature, and youth health. Health systems resilience projects should advocate for stronger and more equitable systems, youth-focused resources, and collaboration across stakeholders.
Projects must be inclusive and non-discriminatory, work with underserved communities, and be measurable. Organisations must provide end-of-year and end-of-grant reports that include total number of young people reached directly, policies influenced or resulting from the work, lessons learned, and impact. Projects must begin after October 2026 and be completed by December 2027.
Ineligible Projects
Projects are not eligible if they discriminate or primarily promote political or religious viewpoints, use funding to make grants or donations to others, are primarily medical courses, provide bursaries or tuition for an existing course, provide treatment or medical advice, pay for medicines, benefit AstraZeneca’s commercial business, last more than 12 months, have already taken place, are planned to start before November 2026, or are funded more than 50% by another source aside from the AstraZeneca grant.
Timeline
The application opened on 5 March 2026, and the application deadline is 12 April 2026. AstraZeneca states that it aims for all grants to be dispersed by October 2026. Projects are expected to start between October 2026 and April 2027, and all projects must end by December 2027.
