Global health partners have emphasized that youth leadership is key to shaping Africa’s health future through innovation, advocacy, and active participation in policy development.
This was highlighted on Friday at a side event during the ongoing 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2025) in Durban, South Africa. The event was co-hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and The Global Fund.
The partners reaffirmed that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and stronger health security across Africa depends on unlocking the leadership and innovation potential of the continent’s young population.
Themed “YOUNITE for Health: Amplifying Youth Voices for a Fully Replenished Global Fund,” the session explored how youth-focused initiatives are empowering young Africans to drive public health innovation.
Africa CDC has made youth engagement a central pillar of its New Public Health Order, particularly through its YES!Health flagship initiatives, which position young people as leaders, innovators, and decision-makers in the health sector.
Speakers noted that with an estimated 60 to 70 percent of Africa’s population being youth, the continent has a demographic advantage that must be harnessed to accelerate health and development outcomes.
Ms. Claudia Ahumada from the Global Fund Secretariat said Africa’s youth are critical to building resilient and self-reliant health systems.
She noted that while the Global Fund has significantly reduced the burden of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria on the continent, the gains remain fragile, stressing the need for a fully replenished fund to sustain progress and expand access to life-saving interventions.
Dr. Promesse Kaniki, Head of the Youth Programme at Africa CDC, said youth participation must go beyond tokenism.
“Young people are not just beneficiaries; they are partners and champions,” she stated.
Similarly, Ms. Laura Lontsi Tsakou of the Global Fund Youth Council warned that excluding young people from policy dialogues limits progress.
“Policies made without young people are policies against us,” she said, calling for mentorship and stronger partnerships to build youth capacity.
Ms. Nicolle Dlamini of Impact Drivers South Africa also underscored the need for institutional support to help youth-led organizations scale up their innovations and make meaningful contributions to health delivery.
The session concluded that aligning Africa CDC’s youth empowerment programmes with the YOUNITE Campaign would create a unified front to advance the continent’s health and security agenda.
The key message from the event was clear: Africa’s health future must be co-created with its youth through inclusion, strategic investment, and shared leadership.
