The African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has engaged young Africans to identify and solve critical public health challenges in their communities through innovative solutions that can support the continent in times of health crises.

The initiative, being implemented by the Youth Hub Africa and Africa CDC, with funding from GIZ, is designed to empower young changemakers in Africa to develop and implement sustainable solutions for addressing Africa’s pressing health challenges in the areas of mental health, digital health, non-communicable diseases, and Mpox prevention.

Speaking at the end of the Bingwa PLUS Y-Health Incubation Programme Pitching event in Abuja, Senior Technical Officer for Strategic Programmes and Youth Division Lead at Africa CDC, Dr Chrys Kaniki, observed that the initiative supports young people in the continent to identify public health challenges in the communities and provide ideas on how to solve them.

Kaniki explained that the Bingwa PLUS Y-Health Incubation Programme builds on the success of the previous Bingwa initiative, which was launched to engage young people in COVID-19 response efforts.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Youth Hub Africa, Rotimi Olawale, said that the programme provides grants to some of the participants to implement their ideas and encourage partnerships with other organisations and governments.

Olawale said that the programme has received over 2,000 applications from 40 countries and that 30 selected young professionals have presented their ideas.

On her part, Youth Engagement Advisor at GIZ, African Union, Metasebiya Mamo, stressed the need to invest in young people’s ideas.

“We have interacted with young people through our involvement with the Africa CDC youth programme, and what keeps coming up is that young people don’t only need capacity-building opportunities but financing their ideas. We’re hoping to show this as proof that investing in young people’s ideas works,” she said.