2026 Wits/PPS Health Economics Africa Essay Competition

Job Description

The Wits/PPS “Health Economics for Africa” Essay Competition 2026 is an academic contest designed to showcase the voices of undergraduate and postgraduate students across African universities on health economics issues critical to the continent.

Organised by the University of the Witwatersrand and supported by PPS, the competition aims to advance the discipline of health economics on the global stage by encouraging original, well-researched, and policy-relevant ideas from Africa’s emerging scholars.

Application Deadline: January 31, 2026
Type: Contest
Sponsor: University of the Witwatersrand

Competition Categories and Prizes

Undergraduate Category – Cash Prizes

• 1st Prize: USD 2,000
• 2nd Prize: USD 1,000
• 3rd Prize: USD 500

Additional Recognition:

• Top 10 finalists receive an eCertificate
• A health economist and media specialist will support the top 10 finalists to publicise their ideas and perspectives on social media

Postgraduate Category – Cash Prizes

• 1st Prize: USD 5,000
• 2nd Prize: USD 3,000
• 3rd Prize: USD 1,000

Additional Recognition:

• Each of the three winners will be mentored by a published health economist to support publication of their paper in a scientific journal
• Top 10 finalists receive an eCertificate
• A health economist and media specialist will work with the top 10 finalists to amplify their voices on social media

Eligibility Requirements

Undergraduate Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be undergraduate students from any discipline
• Be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Honours degree at any university on the African continent
• Upload certified proof of registration or enrolment for 2025 during submission

Essay Topics (Choose One):

• The Cost of Distance: When Geography Shapes Health
• Climate on the Clinic Doorstep
• Antibiotics and the Dilemmas of Healthcare Decisions
• What – and Who – Keeps the Health System Running
• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Healthcare
• The Political Economy of Health Financing

Postgraduate Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be postgraduate students from any discipline
• Be currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral (PhD) programme at any university on the African continent
• Upload certified proof of registration or enrolment for 2025 during submission

Paper Requirements:

• Must address a question grounded in health economics
• Must apply economic principles and methods to health and healthcare
• May draw on other disciplines, but the primary contribution must advance understanding of:
  • Health systems
  • Health policy
  • Health behaviour

Rules and Selection Criteria

• The organisers reserve the right not to make an award
• Each entrant may submit only one entry
• The central focus of the essay or paper must align with the listed topics
• Essays or papers outside the stated scope will not be reviewed
• A minimum of three academic sources must be cited
• Submissions must be original, unpublished work
• Joint, team, or co-authored entries are not permitted
• Artificial Intelligence use is permitted, provided it is responsible and ethical
  • A declaration of AI use is required during submission
• All citations and references must follow APA or Harvard style

Submission Guidelines

Undergraduate Submissions

• Submissions are made via the Oxford Abstracts platform
• Applicants must register at www.oxfordabstracts.com

Format Requirements:

• Length: 800–1,000 words (excluding title and references)
• Language: English
• On submission, copy and paste:
  • Title
  • Main text
  • References
    into the relevant sections of the online form

Postgraduate Submissions

• Submissions are made via the Oxford Abstracts platform
• Applicants must register at www.oxfordabstracts.com

Format Requirements:

• Length: 4,500–5,500 words
  • Excluding title, abstract, and references
  • Include the word count for the main text on the title page
• Formatting:
  • Single-spaced
  • 12-point Times New Roman font
• File type: Single PDF file
  • Do not include your name or personal details in the document or file name
• Language: English