Application Deadline: 7 January 2026
If you are a journalist interested in telling powerful, evidence-based stories from the front lines of global health, the Polio Press Fellowship for Individual Reporting offers a unique opportunity to do meaningful international reporting.
The fellowship supports professional journalists to travel to polio-affected countries and report on eradication efforts, remaining challenges, and the broader role of polio programmes in strengthening health systems.
Selected fellows receive up to $7,000 in funding, specialized training, and direct access to global health experts and affected communities.
About the Polio Press Fellowship
The United Nations Foundation offers this international journalism fellowship to support in-depth, field-based reporting on polio eradication.
The programme allows journalists to report outside their country of residence, helping bring global attention to progress made, obstacles still faced, and why polio eradication remains a global priority.
The fellowship also highlights how polio eradication systems contribute to broader public health goals, including routine immunisation and disease surveillance.
Fellowship Objectives
The Polio Press Fellowship is designed to:
- Increase public awareness of global polio eradication efforts
- Support accurate, on-the-ground journalism from affected regions
- Explain how polio infrastructure strengthens wider health systems
- Amplify the voices of communities, health workers, and survivors
Key Reporting Focus Areas
Applicants are encouraged to propose reporting projects that explore one or more of the following themes:
- Innovations in polio vaccination and disease surveillance
- Gender-related challenges and opportunities in polio eradication
- Barriers to reaching unvaccinated and underserved children
- Links between polio programmes and broader global health goals
- Effects of climate change, misinformation, conflict, displacement, and urbanisation on eradication efforts
Priority Reporting Destinations
While reporting proposals may focus on any polio-affected country, preference is given to projects involving:
Enjoying this article? Share it with your network!
- Angola
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ethiopia
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
Journalists should demonstrate realistic access and reporting plans for their chosen location.
What the Fellowship Provides
Selected fellows receive both financial and professional support, including:
- Participation in mandatory virtual training sessions on polio and global health reporting
- Up to $7,000 in funding per fellow
- Support to conduct independent international reporting travel
- A visa support letter from the United Nations Foundation
What the Fellowship Does Not Fund
The fellowship does not support:
- Books or book-length projects
- Feature-length films
- Fiction or creative writing
- Equipment purchases
Funding is strictly for reporting-related expenses.
Who Can Apply
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a professional journalist with published work
- Have a track record with reputable national or international media outlets
- Freelance journalists with strong portfolios are eligible
- Be able to propose a clear reporting plan and realistic budget
- Commit to all required virtual training sessions
Why This Fellowship Matters
Polio eradication is at a critical point. Progress is threatened by conflict, misinformation, climate pressures, and unequal access to healthcare.
By supporting journalists to report directly from affected regions, the fellowship helps improve public understanding, accountability, and trust — while showing how polio systems support broader global health efforts beyond a single disease.
Click HERE to Apply
Do you need professional help for this application? Click HERE
Disclaimer: Edfrica does not have direct influence nor guarantee the outcome of this application following the support you receive from us
