The Commonwealth spans every region of the world and has a population of some 2.2 billion people – an estimated one-third of the world’s population. It comprises countries at different stages of development with varying disease burden and priorities. Young people constitute about 60 per cent of the population of the Commonwealth, with three in every five Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30.

It is important to reach out to young people as the gateway to curbing the global burden of diseases. The youth population can be leveraged to share information on the prevention and control of diseases, while increased involvement in high-level decision making will ensure that the voice of youth is reflected in global health governance. Yet, to contribute to social action, young people and their communities must have the skills necessary to engage stakeholders on health matters.

Endorsed by Commonwealth Health Ministers at their May 2016 meeting, the Commonwealth Youth Health Network supports the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat and member countries in achieving health-related goals particularly SDG3- to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The network aims to achieve its advocacy and capacity-building objectives through partnerships to contribute to research, policies and programmes. The priority areas for the network includes Mental Health, Non-communicable diseases and Universal Health Coverage. Full Story

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