Advocacy

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Putting adolescent health and disease prevention on the global policy agenda

The Young Health Programme’s young leaders – in partnership with our NGO partners including UNICEF, Plan International and the NCD Alliance – drive advocacy initiatives that advance non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and adolescent well-being across local, national and global policy agendas, ensuring youth voices are meaningfully heard.

YHP activities support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4 to reduce premature deaths linked to NCDs by one third by 2030 and promote mental health and wellbeing.

Powered by partnership

Leveraging UNICEF's extensive networks with decision-makers at both global and national levels has been central in effectively advancing YHP's goal to prioritise youth NCD prevention on government agendas worldwide.

Since 2019, our partnership with UNICEF, with active participation from YHP youth advocates, has positively shaped 29 laws & policies across 7 countries - strengthening regulations on tobacco, nutrition, food environments, air quality and adolescent health services

Together, we are equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to make informed health decisions and uniting them behind a global youth-led advocacy movement.

Advocacy in action

South Africa

In South Africa, 1 in 5 young people may face future health risks from food-related illnesses. With a focus on prevention, our partnership with UNICEF South Africa works with youth advocates to lobby government to improve the school food environment for all young people.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, our partnership with UNICEF is helping young people lead longer, healthier lives by empowering them to become champions of non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and advocates for policy change. Together, we have supported the Government to roll out nationwide medical check-ups and lessons on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention.

Protocols were developed and health checks piloted that are now reaching 53 million young people, strengthening health awareness, improving wellbeing and enabling informed health decisions for the future.

In parallel, YHP has supported youth advocates to influence stronger tobacco control policies. Youth engagement helped shape regulations that expanded smoke-free areas, strengthened health warning labels and raised the legal age for tobacco purchase to 21. These measures are expected to reduce youth smoking and deliver significant long-term health, economic and environmental benefits.

Building blocks for lifelong health report

YHP Impact Fellows 2025

YHP policy papers

We have supported the development of numerous papers to inform policy - read them in our media library.

Youth manifesto on NCDs - Coming soon!

Read more about our work