By 2050, the global youth demographic is expected to reach 1.4 billion. Inequality, growing disease burden, poverty, injustice, lack of opportunity, and other prominent social concerns that can impact young people, are often overlooked and ignored. Youth-focused interventions, programs, and strategies can help to change the current socio-economic, environmental, and political aspect of the NCD response.

Recognising the immense potential that young people hold, HRIDAY alongside the World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia has organised the 4th Global Youth Meet (GYM) on Health from Tuesday 20 - Wednesday 21 April 2021. NCD Alliance will be joining the GYM 2021 as it convenes youth delegates, virtually, to explore linkages between key public health issues including communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and environmental and mental health, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

The two-day event will increase the capacity of youth participants to plan, implement, monitor, and scale up integrated campaigns in order to meet national NCD targets, accelerate action for the SDGs, and emerge as NCD champions and professionals. 

GYM 2021 will conclude with the publication of a Youth Declaration and the implementation of tangible and time-bound youth-led Regional Action Plans that will be adopted post-GYM. 

Key focus areas for GYM 2021 

The GYM 2021 will focus on five key focus areas including: 

• Adolescent Health issues;
• Public health, UHC and SDGs;
• Commercial determinants of Health;
• Youth-friendly policies;
• NCD risk factors. 

If you would like to join the live discussion, you can follow the live plenary session on YouTube here! You can also follow the GYM on social media using the hashtag #GYM2021