The Young Health Programme (YHP) is a core part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability ambition to use its capabilities to make a meaningful impact where society needs it – health. The YHP is a disease prevention programme with a unique focus on young people age 10 to 24 living in vulnerable and under-resourced settings around the world. The YHP addresses the primary risk factors – tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and exposure to air pollution - that contribute to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – cancers, diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases and mental ill-health. Learn more about the Young Health Programme here.
The YHP One Young World Scholarship aims to identify and empower young leaders who are tackling the burden of NCDs through advocacy, innovation and the delivery of primary health services. The 2020/21 scholars were selected from more than 3,800 applicants from more than 160 countries. They are social entrepreneurs, educators, activists, volunteers, health professionals, executives, investors, mentors and much more working in areas as diverse as mental health, primary healthcare, sexual and reproductive health, emergency response, primary and secondary prevention, education and digital platforms. Learn more about their work and impact by exploring their profiles below.
Bruno Helman
Founder, Running for Diabetes
Brazil
Bio
Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic condition such as diabetes is distressing, often resulting in feelings of loneliness and social exclusion. Staying motivated plays a pivotal role in helping the sufferer to take action. Bruno started Running for Diabetes to encourage other people living with diabetes to take up regular physical activity as a tool to promote their health and social inclusion. It has already impacted five countries and over twenty cities around the world and advocates at national and international level to promote meaningful engagement of youth and people living with NCDs in the decision-making processes that impact their lives.
Expertise
Sports and Recreation, Healthcare, Advocacy
Peter Maina
Peer Educator, Young Health Programme, Plan International Kenya
Kenya
Bio
As a young man living with disabilities in Kibera, one of Kenya’s largest informal settlements, Peter has to grapple with discrimination and the limitations caused by his condition. His ambition is to create a society where no-one’s potential is limited by where they come from. He encourages young people in Kibera, especially those living with disabilities, to be resilient, work hard and achieve their dreams. Peter joined the YHP in 2016 as a Peer Educator and visits schools and community spaces using his talent for comedy and art to inform young people and the wider community about NCD risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical activity and air pollution.
Expertise
Public Health, Advocacy, Education, Disability
Towett Ngetich
CEO, Uthabiti Health
Kenya
Bio
The Ministry of Health in Kenya reports that up to 20% of drugs are counterfeit, and up to half of the retail outlets that provide health products in crowded spaces are unregistered and could be conduits of products such as fake condoms, fake contraceptives, fake abortion pills and even fake antiretrovirals. Towett’s approach has been to set up a network of certified retail points in Nairobi; to develop an independent testing laboratory that reports fake products to the MOH and labels compliant products using blockchain IDs; and building consumer understanding of the issue and how they can protect themselves.
Expertise
Healthcare, Blockchain
Joanne Moral del Joloy
Founder, Ya Respondiste A.C
Mexico
Bio
Joanne, a medical doctor, noted that patients often present with a physical disease and some change in mental health; and so reasoned that by addressing mental, physical and nutritional health together it should be possible to develop balanced wellbeing. Ya Respondiste (I Responded) was her answer. It focuses on population education on neglected health-related issues through strategic alliances between organisations, companies and schools. Initiatives have included Comedor Rodante (The Rolling Dining Room) providing balanced meals for patients’ family members in public hospitals, and Prevención a través del Juego (Prevention and Treatment Through Games), where children and young people learn about public health issues through play.
Expertise
Healthcare, Public Health, Advocacy
Mazbahul Islam
Co-founder, Safewheel
Bangladesh
Bio
In Bangladesh 105 million people live in rural areas but there are only 1200 ambulances to serve them, most of these don’t work properly and only 7% have paramedics on board. Mazbahul and his team have designed tricycle ambulances that cost one tenth as much as conventional ambulances and are more manoeuvrable. Safewheel also trains local youth to be ambulance drivers and paramedics and this affordable and sustainable mini-ambulance system delivers doorstep medical care and takes community members to hospital. Mazbahul is working to change the economic structure of rural Bangladesh following Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus's philosophy of creating a world of three zeros: zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero carbon emissions.
Expertise
Healthcare, Social Entrepreneurship
Robinson Obunga
Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, Young Health Programme, Plan International Kenya
Kenya
Bio
Many young people grow up in environments that make it very difficult to adopt healthy lifestyles or to access quality healthcare. The situation is worse for those living in low- and middle-income countries, like Kenya. Robinson is passionate about young people’s health and well-being and joined the YHP in 2018, working with young people, parents, teachers, community leaders and health professionals in the informal settlement of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. As a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Robinson is keen to promote accountability and to ensure that young people receive accurate information on NCD prevention to make informed choices about their health and well-being.
Expertise
Public Health, Education, Advocacy, Monitoring and Evaluation
Sylivia Kyomuhendo
Founder and Director, Infants' Health Foundation
Uganda
Bio
Accessing a health facility can be a nightmare in rural Uganda due to ignorance and the difficulty and expense of transportation over long distances - this has a major impact on healthcare especially for women. Whilst prenatal and postnatal services are available free at government health clinics few rural women can access them. Sylivia’s Infants Health Foundation uses micro-financed motorcycle ambulances to bring midwives and other health workers to Uganda’s hardest to reach villages on a monthly basis, providing access to a host of services from checkups and vaccinations to information and counselling.
Expertise
Healthcare, Social Entrepreneurship
Roy Dahildahil
Co-founder, #MentalHealthPH
Philippines
Bio
In the Philippines young people, and Filipinos in general, have difficulty communicating their feelings or what’s bothering them and seeking help. There are barriers in self, society, and systems and , however digital technology penetration in the Philippines is high at 70% so Roy and #MentalHealthPH use social media and other digital technologies to improve access to information especially on how and where to seek help for mental health concerns; showcase what can be done; and advocate for system change. Its work now extends offline with established chapters in two big cities which create their own campaigns tailored to their own needs.
Expertise
Healthcare, Mental Health, Social Media
Tuan Son Ngo
Chairman of Union of Students, National Economics University
Vietnam
Bio
Discussions about health are often focused on the adult population rather than young people. Tuan is a student at the National Economics University in Vietnam and Chairman of the Union of Students there, and works to promote healthy student lifestyles In 2019 Tuan joined the Young Health Programme (YHP) in Vietnam as a Peer Educator sharing information about non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention with his peers. He believes that healthy young people will make healthy adults, who can then work together to make the world a better place.
Expertise
Public Health, Advocacy
Guillermo Herrera Arcos
Co-founder/CSO, Prothesia
Mexico
Bio
People with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke, and many other conditions often have no access to affordable rehabilitation devices that would enable them to live far fuller lives. As a young researcher at the MIT Center for Extreme Bionics, MIT Media Lab, Guillermo helped develop a robotic exoskeleton to assist a paraplegic young man in walking again. With Prothesia he is working on a digital platform to manufacture tailored devices digitally much faster, more cheaply and with fewer errors than traditional artisanal techniques. It has already helped dozens of children. For his research he is working on novel neural interfaces to enable users to control paralysed muscles in a natural way.
Expertise
Healthcare, Disability, Science and Technology
Jordan Abdi
Strategy and Business Development Lead, Holmusk
United Kingdom
Bio
Healthcare systems focus on disease treatment rather than working with healthy people to maintain their wellbeing. Jordan’s ambition is to empower young healthy people to take control of their health for the betterment of themselves and society at large. He is a medical doctor with an academic background in medicine and neuroscience, a Schwarzman Scholar and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper dedicated to delivering meaningful change that empowers others. In the past five years Jordan has founded and managed two businesses in healthcare and education and currently serves as Strategy and Business Development Lead at Holmusk working to drive smarter healthcare.
Expertise
Healthcare, Strategic Planning
Emmanuel Egbroko
Executive Director, Inocul8
Nigeria
Bio
In Nigeria, cervical cancer is the second leading female cancer - with over 50 million Nigerian women between the ages of 15 to 49 years at risk and an estimated 14,000 dying each year. 24 million Nigerians are infected with hepatitis B. Young people face challenges accessing vaccination services against these diseases such as lack of awareness, cost, busy work schedules, and long waiting times. Inocul8 (www.inocul8.com.ng) partners with community pharmacies to establish vaccination hubs/walk-in clinics, provides a mobile on-demand screening and vaccination service and offers free screening and subsidised vaccination services for the poor and underserved through the CBPI Foundation.
Expertise
Healthcare, Public Health
Jackline Anyango
Peer Educator, Young Health Programme, Plan International Kenya
Kenya
Bio
As a young woman growing up in Kibera, Jackline faced many challenges such as a persistent lack of education, sexual violence, child marriage, violent crimes, alcohol and drugs, and poverty. Jackline has had to navigate these challenges herself and has spent most of her adult life helping girls and young women to gain confidence in themselves and never give up until they realize their full potential. Jackline has been creating safe spaces in Kibera where girls and young women can speak freely, share information and support one another. In 2016, Jackline’s Jackline joined the YHP as a Peer Educator and is a lead Peer Educator in her community and enjoys working with her peers and community to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Expertise
Healthcare, Education, Advocacy
Ishani Kaluthotage
Doctor, Queensland Health
Australia
Bio
Dr Ishani Kaluthotage is a medical doctor passionate about global health and humanitarian medicine. She graduated from Griffith University in 2018 with a Masters of Medicine. She is currently completing her Masters of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University and studying Tok Pisin at Australian National University. She has extensive volunteer experience in health care and promotion, human trafficking and sustainable development projects in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Tanzania, and Papua New Guinea. She has developed a strong relationship with PNG as a volunteer doctor and as a medical educator through Queensland Rural Medical Education and Kiunga Hospital, Western Province. She was a participant in the Lowy Institute’s Australia-PNG Emerging Leaders Dialogue in 2019. She is also the the Australian-Papua New Guinea Liaison Officer for “Project Yumi - Bush Dokta” – an NGO improving access to health care and resources in rural and remote PNG. Her passion lies in health policy and minimising health inequalities in low resourced environments within the Indo-Pacific region.
Expertise
Healthcare, Public Health
Christabel Ngwashi Apholung
Founder, MoreThanJustAnMD Initiative
Cameroon
Bio
In Cameroon health service capacity is limited and so almost all healthcare is reactive or disease responsive, with only a limited public understanding of the underlying issues and how behaviours can affect medical outcomes. Ngwashi, already a medical doctor, set out to remedy this by setting up MT-JAM Health using social media, radio, and television to debunk health myths, provide wellness and nutrition information and advice on safety measures. She is also piloting the Fight Against Substance Abuse Project (FASAP) to educate students aged 13-20 about healthy lifestyles with a focus on reducing substance abuse.
Expertise
Healthcare, Advocacy, Social Media
Juliana Busasi
Founder, Tanzania Health and Medical Education Foundation
Tanzania
Bio
Access to healthcare services is a major challenge in Tanzania with those in underserved communities facing lower life expectancy, higher maternal and child mortality and increased risk of contracting communicable diseases. Juliana founded TAHMEF to improve youth health by delivering health education seminars and outreach programmes in underserved areas; mobilising free health screenings; and promoting community health insurance to improve access to quality essential healthcare services and to safe, effective and affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
Expertise
Healthcare, Education, Advocacy
Hilda Tonge Ekwoge
Co-founder, HILPharma
Cameroon
Bio
Substance abuse is a growing problem in Cameroon and Hilda promotes medication safety and provides assistance to those with substance use disorders through her non-profit HILPharma. The organisation educates its audience of about 10,000 via regular online posts and outreach and the HILPharma-designed ‘Youth Against Drug Abuse’ (YADA) curriculum provides on-site training to secondary school students to equip them with life-skills necessary to resist the pressures of substance use. Hilda also serves as hospital pharmacist with Cameroon’s Ministry of Health and is currently working on setting up outpatient clinics to assist persons who want to quit smoking and drinking.
Expertise
Healthcare, Education, Advocacy
Aleena Khan
Programme Specialist, Plan International UK
United Kingdom
Bio
Long-term conditions such as cancers, diabetes, respiratory and heart diseases, and mental ill health are globally on the rise; but action on prevention is limited. Aleena works as a Programme Specialist at Plan International UK to support the development and implementation of the YHP in Thailand and Vietnam. Her work focuses on empowering young people to make healthy life choices by building their knowledge and skills on NCD prevention, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and emotional wellbeing. The programme also creates an enabling environment for them to take informed decisions about their own health.
Expertise
Advocacy, Mental Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Public Health
Aditi Sivakumar
Medical Student, Dalhousie University Medical School
Canada
Bio
Gender-based violence affects one in three women across the globe and takes the life of one woman every six days in Canada. As the founder of "My Empowerment Packs," Aditi provides wellness kits for youth facing homelessness and women facing violence. Each wellness kit contains sexual and reproductive health products and a comprehensive resource booklet including information on mental health and pregnancy support. During the pandemic, she created a web application called the “My Empowerment Platform”, which provides education and resources for women and children facing violence in Canada . She also founded “Everyday Essential Express”, a Contactless Delivery Service for Domestic Violence Shelters in the Ottawa-region.
Expertise
Women's Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Advocacy
Lucy Hawkes
Corporate Partnerships Executive, Plan International UK
United Kingdom
Bio
The specific needs of young people, especially during the current time of profound change, are frequently not being met or even recognised. This disadvantage can be compounded by factors such as gender, race, sexuality, socio-economic background and disability. Lucy manages the partnership between AstraZeneca and Plan International to deliver the Young Health Programme UK; which aims to support young people to realise their right to good health and wellbeing. Plan International believes that young people themselves have the answers and that they should be empowered to design solutions that work for them.
Expertise
Public Health, Advocacy