Youth Leaders in Action: Advancing Youth Participation in the Global Response to Non-Communicable Diseases

On June 2, 2021, NCD Child, in partnership with the UNICEF, World Obesity Federation, American Heart Association, CLAS Saludable, HRIDAY, and Movendi International hosted a post-World Health Assembly (WHA) session that emphasized the need for young people to be centrally involved in forums such as WHA and beyond as the co-creators, designers and implementers of the global action for the prevention and control of NCDs, by showcasing youth within the NCD Child Young Leaders’ Program (YLP) and partner networks.

Young leaders from the YLP and partner networks will highlighted how young people globally are already engaged in advocacy initiatives, the impact of these actions within their communities, and how forums like the YLP that bring young people together can elevate the voices of youth advocates, bring attention to their work and benefit the entire global health community.  

YLP Young Leaders:
Deena Al-Zoubi, Advocacy and Program Development Manager, Royal Health Awareness Society, Jordan  

Pierre Cooke, Technical Advisor, Healthy Caribbean Coalition, Barbados 

Dr. Shakira Choonara, Independent Public Health Practitioner, South Africa 

Dr. Apoorva Gomber, MPH Candidate, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, India  

Ana Larrañaga, Advocacy Coordinator, ContraPeso Coalition, Mexico  

Mohamed Nimal, Associate Lecturer, Maldives National University, Republic of the Maldives 

Joab Wako, Executive Director, Transplant Education Kenya, Kenya 

Stephanie Whiteman, PhD Candidate, University of the West Indies/George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Barbados  

Partner speakers:
María Lujan Abramo, Member of the Alianza Juvenil Coordinating Group, CLAS, Argentina

Dr. Joanna Lai, Health Specialist, Health Section, UNICEF HQ, USA  

Margot Neveux, Senior Policy Manager, World Obesity Federation, United Kingdom  

Introductions by Dr. Marie Hauerslev, Chair, NCD Child.

Moderated by Andrew Fale Lesa, Youth Representative of Executive Committee, NCD Child.

Watch the event below.

Thank you to Friends of Cancer Patients and AstraZeneca Young Health Programme for their support.

Other News