.png?sfvrsn=6d0e27cd_1 "Partnership for Change - v7 (1)")
By YIELD Hub
Universal Health Coverage, one of our generation’s most ambitious goals, envisions a world where everyone everywhere has access to quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship. Universal health coverage (UHC) at its core lifts people out of poverty, promotes the well-being of families and communities, protects against public health crises, and moves us toward health for all.
With barely 7 years to go till #UHC2030, we are urged to take stock of progress made towards Universal Health Coverage. We are also reminded of the challenges that many people face every day; especially young people. Picture this... the global youth population is rapidly growing with 1.8 billion young people living on this planet right now. In Africa alone, young people under the age of 35 make up more than 65% of the population.
With such a burgeoning population, it is no surprise that young people are disproportionately affected by key healthcare shortfalls such as inequities in service coverage and financial hardship. Further, adolescents and youth face insurmountable challenges when it comes to their sexual and reproductive health; ranging from lack of access to affordable and quality services to invasion of their privacy by healthcare workers in many instances. To achieve Universal Health Coverage, the sexual and reproductive health needs of this demographic must be prioritised. Further, young people must be at the forefront of these efforts, to curate solutions best suited to solving the challenges they face.
Without young people, Universal Health Coverage remains an unattainable goal. As such, we work alongside core partners to advance youth partnership and influence norm change within the Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AYSRHR) field.
To further discourse on what young people want with regards to their sexual and reproductive health for global universal health coverage goals, the YIELD Hub will host a learning webinar alongside its partners. This learning forum will also seek to demonstrate the need for improved youth partnership within the adolescent and youth SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights) ecosystem to create lasting change; exploring why youth partnership is critical to the achievement of UHC goals. Further, we will endeavour to dissect how action learning can enrich the Adolescent and Youth SRHR ecosystem leading to better health outcomes; which will no doubt bring us one step closer to Universal Health Coverage.
Speakers
Richard Dzikunu – Action Learning Groups Lead, YIELD Hub
Lucy Fagan – Policy Officer, UN Major Group for Children & Youth (UNMGCY) & Member, UN HLM 2023 Task Force
Dr Shakira Choonara - SRHR Thematic Lead, UN Women & Technical Specialist, WHO