The World Health Organization (WHO) Youth Council unveiled its Youth Declaration on Creating Healthy Societies on October 14, 2024, aiming to establish youth as central actors in fostering healthier and safer societies. The declaration was launched during the World Health Summit held October 13-15, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.
The declaration outlined 10 calls to action across three priority areas — health, education, and literacy — highlighting the need for collective efforts from governments, academia, the private sector, civil society organisations, and individuals. It emphasises the shared responsibility of these groups, in collaboration with young people, to co-create societies grounded in well-being, resilience, and trust.
According to the declaration, stakeholders must develop policies and programmes that promote inclusion and address disparities across all sectors. Key among the proposals is equitable education that enhances digital, health, and civic literacy, alongside accessible healthcare tailored to the needs of young people. The inclusion of youth in decision-making processes is also central to these efforts.
Health education and promotion should be interwoven into all aspects of a young person’s life, the declaration stated, stressing the importance of supporting formal, non-formal, and informal education from early childhood and throughout life. Health, digital, and civic literacy are seen as essential for creating a healthy society and environment, guided by the active engagement and leadership of young people.
The declaration also calls for the creation of “brave spaces” where young people can be empowered, free from violence, harassment, exploitation, and other harmful practices. These spaces, including online environments, should enable youth to exercise their human rights, seek help when needed, and improve their overall well-being.
Acknowledging persistent inequalities, the declaration highlighted the digital divide as a significant barrier to education and technology access.
The declaration represented the “collective commitment and priorities to help communities, especially youth, at local, regional and global levels, to be healthier and more resilient in the face of the many health challenges the world faces today as well as the ones ahead,” said Kate Ndocko, WHO Youth Council member, in a statement.
The WHO Youth Council is composed of 23 youth organisations that work to promote public health in different ways at a global and regional level.
Africa Public Health Students Network Initiative (AfricaPHSN), Innovation for Health Equity in Africa, International Federation of Medical Students' Association (IFMSA), UN Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) are some of the organisations that are part of the Youth Council.