Wits/PPS Health Economics Essay Competition 2026
Summary
Wits/PPS "Health Economics for Africa" Essay Competition closes 31 Jan 2026 (23:59 GMT).
- Undergrad: 800-1,000 words; English; submit 1 entry only
- Postgrad: 4,500-5,500 words; PDF; single-spaced, 12pt Times
- Cash prizes up to USD 2,000 (UG) and USD 5,000 (PG)
- Submit via Oxford Abstracts; proof of 2025 enrolment required
- Enquiries: essay.sef@wits.ac.za
To advance health economics on the global stage, the Wits/PPS “Health Economics for Africa” Essay Competition showcases voices of undergraduates and postgraduates at African universities on health economics issues that matter in Africa.
This post breaks down the undergraduate and postgraduate tracks; it covers eligibility, format, prizes, rules, and how entries get reviewed (so entrants can Submit correctly).
Closing date and time
Entries close on 31 January 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
Submission route (Oxford Abstracts)
Submissions go through Oxford Abstracts. Entrants first register on the Oxford Abstracts site, then submit through the relevant stage page for their category.
- Register on Oxford Abstracts: Oxford Abstracts registration page
Undergraduate and postgraduate submissions use different stage links; those are listed under each section below.
Undergraduate category
Eligibility
This category is open to undergraduate students from any discipline who are currently enrolled in any university on the African continent in a Bachelors or Honours degree.
Entrants must upload a certified proof of registration/enrolment in 2025 as part of the submission process.
Essay topics (pick one)
The essay’s central focus must be one of these topics:
- 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
Format and length
- 800 to 1,000 words (title and references excluded)
- English language
- On submission, copy and paste the title, main text, and references into the relevant sections in the online form
Undergraduate submission link
- Submit undergraduate entry here: Undergraduate Oxford Abstracts submission page
Prizes
Cash prizes:
- 1st prize: USD 2,000
- 2nd prize: USD 1,000
- 3rd prize: USD 500
Top 10: eCertificate; a health economist and media specialist will work with the top 10 to publicise their “voices” on social media.
Rules (undergraduate)
- The organiser reserves the right to not make an award.
- One entry per entrant.
- Essays outside the listed topics will not be reviewed.
- The essay should cite at least three academic sources.
- The essay must be the entrant’s own original, unpublished work; joint, team, and co-authored entries are not permitted.
Review and shortlisting
Essays will be screened for technical compliance (format rules) and reviewed using these criteria:
- Understanding and insight (20%)
- Argument and analysis (30%)
- Policy relevance and contribution (30%)
- Clarity of expression and structure (10%)
- Use of sources and integrity (10%)
Shortlisted entrants will be interviewed online by the panel of judges.
Postgraduate category
Eligibility
This category is open to postgraduate students from any discipline currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral/PhD degree at any university on the African continent.
Entrants must upload a certified proof of registration/enrolment in 2025 as part of the submission process.
Topic scope
Papers must address a question or issue grounded in health economics, applying economic principles and methods to health and healthcare.
A paper may draw on other disciplines; the central contribution should advance understanding of economic aspects of health systems, health policy, and/or health behavior.
Format (postgraduate)
- Length: 4,500 to 5,500 words (excluding title, abstract, and references)
- Include the word count for the main text on the title page
- Do NOT include the entrant’s name or any personal information on the title page; only the title
- Formatting: single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman
- File type: submit one PDF file via the submission portal
- To preserve anonymity, do not include name or personal information in the file name
- Language: English
Postgraduate submission link
- Submit postgraduate paper here: Postgraduate Oxford Abstracts submission page
Prizes
Cash prizes:
- 1st prize: USD 5,000
- 2nd prize: USD 3,000
- 3rd prize: USD 1,000
A published health economist(s) will mentor each of the three winners to publish their paper in a scientific journal.
Top 10: eCertificate; a health economist and media specialist will work with the top 10 to publicise their “voices” on social media.
Rules (postgraduate)
- The organiser reserves the right to not make an award.
- One entry per entrant.
- The central focus must be a health economic topic or theme; papers outside health economics will not be reviewed.
- The paper must be the entrant’s own original, unpublished work; joint, team, and co-authored entries are not permitted.
Review and shortlisting
Papers will be screened for technical compliance and reviewed using:
- Contribution (50%)
- Methodology (30%)
- Clarity of expression and structure (20%)
Shortlisted entrants will be interviewed online by the panel of judges.
Artificial Intelligence: what the rules say
The use of AI is permitted, but only where employed responsibly and ethically to augment the entrant’s own work and writing. A declaration on AI use is required on submission.
Citations and references
Entrants must use one of two citation formats, APA or Harvard, for all in-text citations and the list of references. Any information or quotes that are not the entrant’s own work must be properly cited.
Contact and official page
For technical or administrative enquiries, contact: essay.sef@wits.ac.za
More information is available here: Wits SEF PPS Chair in Health Economics essay competition page
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