Empowering youth as agents of change: Gaps and opportunities for meaningful youth engagement (MAYE) for sustainable nutrition, climate and public health programmes
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Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Abstract
Addressing the intersection of food insecurity, malnutrition and climate change in
Sub‐Saharan Africa requires meaningful adolescent and youth engagement to drive
sustainable change. Drawing on empirical evidence and collective experiences from
youth‐led initiatives and coalitions, four gaps and opportunities to better involve
youth in programmes are discussed, including, the need to: (1) standardise the
definition of youth to improve programme design and data harmonisation, (2) provide capacity building and mentorship for youth leadership in health service delivery,
(3) foster youth leadership and multisectoral collaboration in food and health systems and (4) enhance capacity development for non‐youth actors to support genuine
youth participation. This viewpoint underscores the importance of involving African
youth in public health nutrition, climate change and food security programmes
design and implementation—as drivers of change to addressing hunger and climate
crises. By centering youth voices and experiences, programmes and policies can
better address African communities' complex challenges, fostering inclusivity, sustainability and resilience in achieving better nutrition and public health programmes
and outcomes.
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Citation
Gaithuma, Joseph, et al. "Empowering youth as agents of change: Gaps and opportunities for meaningful youth engagement (MAYE) for sustainable nutrition, climate and public health programmes." Maternal & Child Nutrition 21.1 (2025): e13730.