Full List: African Countries Whose Citizens Can Apply for WHO Funded Internship in Switzerland

• The World Health Organisation opened its Global Internship Programme to citizens of all 194 WHO Member States, including dozens of African countries
• Internship positions cover various areas of work across WHO headquarters in Switzerland, regional offices, and country offices worldwide
• Applicants must hold a valid passport from a WHO Member State, with opportunities posted on a rolling basis across different deadlines

Citizens of all 194 WHO Member States, including 54 African countries, are eligible to apply for the World Health Organisation's Global Internship Programme, which places interns at the organisation's headquarters in Switzerland as well as at regional and country offices around the world.

An official post breaking down the eligibility criteria has drawn attention to the programme, highlighting that the opportunity is far broader in reach than many applicants may have assumed.

What the WHO Internship Programme offers

The programme is designed for students and recent graduates seeking hands-on experience in public health, offering placement across technical and administrative departments within WHO.

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Positions are advertised on a continuous basis, each with its own requirements and application deadlines, and WHO encourages interested candidates to check the internship page regularly for new listings.

One of the core eligibility requirements states that applicants must hold a valid passport from a WHO Member State.

African countries eligible to apply

All 54 African member states appear on the WHO eligibility list. These are:

1. Algeria

2. Angola

3. Benin

4. Botswana

5. Burkina Faso

6. Burundi

7. Cabo Verde

8. Cameroon

9. Central African Republic

10. Chad

11. Comoros

12. Congo

13. Côte d'Ivoire

14. Democratic Republic of the Congo

15. Djibouti

16. Egypt

17. Equatorial Guinea

18. Eritrea

19. Eswatini

20. Ethiopia

21. Gabon

22. Gambia

23. Ghana

24. Guinea

25. Guinea-Bissau

26. Kenya

27. Lesotho

28. Liberia

29. Libya

30. Madagascar

31. Malawi

32. Mali

33. Mauritania

34. Mauritius

35. Morocco

36. Mozambique

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37. Namibia

38. Niger

39. Nigeria

40. Rwanda

41. Sao Tome and Principe

42. Senegal

43. Seychelles

44. Sierra Leone

45. Somalia

46. South Africa

47. South Sudan

48. Sudan

49. Togo

50. Tunisia

51. Uganda

52. United Republic of Tanzania

53. Zambia

54. Zimbabwe

Full list of all 194 WHO member states

Beyond Africa, the remaining 140 Member States eligible to apply are:

55. Afghanistan

56. Albania

57. Andorra

58. Antigua and Barbuda

59. Argentina

60. Armenia

61. Australia

62. Austria

63. Azerbaijan

64. Bahamas

65. Bahrain

66. Bangladesh

67. Barbados

68. Belarus

69. Belgium

70. Belize

71. Bhutan

72. Bolivia

73. Bosnia and Herzegovina

74. Brazil

75. Brunei Darussalam

76. Bulgaria

77. Cambodia

78. Canada

79. Chile

80. China

81. Colombia

82. Cook Islands

83. Costa Rica

84. Croatia

85. Cuba

86. Cyprus

87. Czechia

88. Democratic People's Republic of Korea

89. Denmark

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90. Dominica

91. Dominican Republic

92. Ecuador

93. El Salvador

94. Estonia

95. Fiji

96. Finland

97. France

98. Georgia

99. Germany

100. Greece

101. Grenada

102. Guatemala

103. Guyana

104. Haiti

105. Honduras

106. Hungary

107. Iceland

108. India

109. Indonesia

110. Iran (Islamic Republic of)

111. Iraq

112. Ireland

113. Israel

114. Italy

115. Jamaica

116. Japan

117. Jordan

118. Kazakhstan

119. Kiribati

120. Kuwait

121. Kyrgyzstan

122. Lao People's Democratic Republic

123. Latvia

124. Lebanon

125. Lithuania

126. Luxembourg

127. Malaysia

128. Maldives

129. Malta

130. Marshall Islands

131. Mexico

132. Micronesia (Federated States of)

133. Monaco

134. Mongolia

135. Montenegro

136. Myanmar

137. Nauru

138. Nepal

139. Netherlands (Kingdom of the)

140. New Zealand

141. Nicaragua

142. Niue

143. North Macedonia

144. Norway

145. Oman

146. Pakistan

147. Palau

148. Panama

149. Papua New Guinea

150. Paraguay

151. Peru

152. Philippines

153. Poland

154. Portugal

155. Qatar

156. Republic of Korea

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157. Republic of Moldova

158. Romania

159. Russian Federation

160. Saint Kitts and Nevis

161. Saint Lucia

162. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

163. Samoa

164. San Marino

165. Saudi Arabia

166. Serbia

167. Singapore

168. Slovakia

169. Slovenia

170. Solomon Islands

171. Spain

172. Sri Lanka

173. Suriname

174. Sweden

175. Switzerland

176. Syrian Arab Republic

177. Tajikistan

178. Thailand

179. Timor-Leste

180. Tonga

181. Trinidad and Tobago

182. Türkiye

183. Turkmenistan

184. Tuvalu

185. Ukraine

186. United Arab Emirates

187. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

188. United States of America

189. Uruguay

190. Uzbekistan

191. Vanuatu

192. Venezuela

193. Viet Nam

194. Yemen

WHO opens opportunity for youth

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that people worldwide were given the chance to help shape the future of global health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) opened applications for the third term of the WHO Youth Council, running from 2026 to 2028.

Source: Legit.ng