Young health leaders from across Latin America have gathered to discuss sustainable solutions to advance the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Hosted in San José, Costa Rica, Impact Fellows from AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) joined members of One Young World (OYW)’s global community, AstraZeneca employees, girls participating in YHP Costa Rica through Paniamor Foundation and AstraZeneca partners for panel discussions, workshops and networking sessions, bringing together influential health advocates and innovators from across the continent. Over 200 attendees worked collaboratively to champion youth leadership in advancing greater inclusion, equity, and health outcomes for young people worldwide, with a focus on underserved communities.
Why Latin America’s young leaders are tackling non-communicable diseases.
In the Americas, NCDs, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses, cause over 5 million deaths annually.1 It is predicted that from 2021 to 2030, these diseases will cost the world economy more than 30 trillion dollars.2
An estimated 70% of early adult deaths worldwide can be attributed to behaviours that began in adolescence – behaviours that could have been prevented by adopting healthy lifestyles.3 In Latin America and the Caribbean, adolescents and young people make up 30% of the population4 so finding ways of introducing lifestyle changes early is key. And who better to know how to reach young people than young people?
Recognising this, AstraZeneca launched the YHP in 2010 to empower young people to make more informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement. With a unique focus on the prevention of NCDs, YHP activates youth as agents of change by empowering them to actively manage their health, their environment, and their future.
Bringing young minds together to find sustainable solutions.
The 2025 YHP Latin America Regional Congress drew a wide variety of experts and representatives including Ms. Laura Chinchilla, Former President of Costa Rica, who during her political career promoted women's rights and early childhood protection.
Events like this congress are essential for empowering young people and strengthening their role in building more equitable and sustainable healthcare systems.
Taking the lead in discussions and workshops were YHP Impact Fellows. These young leaders have been supported by the YHP with a fully-funded scholarship to attend the One Young World Summit with its unmatched network of changemakers, and were also provided grants by AstraZeneca of US$10,000 or US$50,000 to implement projects that demonstrate equitable access to healthcare for young people in their community. Impact Fellows speaking at the One Young World Congress included Dr. Eliezer Lappots-Abreu (Dominican Republic), an expert in health access and human rights; Martha Lidia Oxi Chuy (Guatemala), a specialist in gender equity and Indigenous rights; Joanne Joloy Del Moral (Mexico), a functional medicine physician and health entrepreneur who promotes awareness about prevention and balance; Alejandro Daly (Colombia), an activist and air quality expert; and Gabrielle Arruda Costa da Silva (Brazil), a specialist in technology and digital health solutions.
Joining the debates were Marc Dunoyer, Chief Executive Officer, Alexion and Chief Strategy Officer, AstraZeneca; Laura Garcia, Country President of Central America and the Caribbean, AstraZeneca; Courtney Sunna, Director of Global Community Investment and YHP, AstraZeneca; and Marcela Gonzalez, Director of Paniamor Foundation Programmes, the implementing partner of YHP in Costa Rica.
AstraZeneca and One Young World give us a platform and a network.
Sharing, learning and generating ideas through debate.
The Congress used different formats to explore subjects deeply. One panel of experts discussed Innovation for the Health of People, Society, and the Planet, highlighting the impact of climate change on human health, and exploring how sustainable action can provide solutions to NCDs.
Alejandro Daly, YHP Impact Fellow from Colombia shared: “The truth is that the climate crisis is a public health crisis. When I moved to Bogotá in Colombia, my asthma got worse due to air pollution. So, I decided to do something about this in 2018. We installed a giant pair of cotton lungs in the streets that became darker and darker with air pollution.”
The workshop From beneficiaries to leaders – unlocking the power of youth-led advocacy was designed to empower young people to become formidable advocates for the issues that matter most to them. Peer Educators from Plan International led a workshop, and UNICEF co-hosted another demonstrating the effective collaboration of YHP partners.
Young leaders led the thought-provoking panel discussion Catalysing Impact: Effective Partnerships for Youth Health Equity. The conversations covered everything from strategies for building trust with youth and addressing systemic barriers to healthcare access, to the importance of incorporating youth voices in decision-making processes.
Being a YHP Impact Fellow reminded me that I already have power within me. It gave me the platform to take my pain and turn it into policy, programmes and purpose.
The First Regional Congress brought together young people and representatives of the country's leading private companies and non-governmental organisations, along with virtual participants from across the region. It paves the way for more valuable youth-led health equity events in the future.
Over 120 YHP Impact Fellows have been supported to attend the One Young World Summit since 2016.
Learn more about AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme at yhp.astrazeneca.com
The YHP is AstraZeneca's health equity global disease prevention programme that aims to prevent common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory diseases by fostering protective environments and empowering young people to make informed health choices. Operating in 41 countries globally, including Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico. To date, the YHP has directly reached over 19.6 million young people, trained over 946,000 individuals and engaged more than 20,000 company employees in volunteer activities since its launch in 2010. The programme is part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitment to improve the health of people, society and the planet. For more information visit: Link
Reference:
- Pan American Health Organization. Non-communicable diseases. Available at: https://www.paho.org/es/temas/enfermedades-no-transmisibles#:~:text=En%20la%20Regi%C3%B3n%20de%20las,de%20ingresos%20bajos%20y%20medianos
- Pan American Health Organization. Economy of the ENT. Available at: https://www.paho.org/es/temas/economia-ent
- World Health Organization. The Second Decade. Improving Adolescent Health and Development. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/64320/WHO_FRH_ADH_98.18_Rev.1.pdf
- Pan American Health Organization. Adolescent health. Available at: https://www.paho.org/es/temas/salud-adolescente
