The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) recently hosted a meeting of the Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 9 to 11, 2023.
The primary objective of the meeting was to rigorously peer-review the research progress to date, discuss findings and synergies, and to chart a clear path forward for the remaining research and the overall Commission report. This meeting marked the Commission’s first in-person gathering, bringing together 25 Commissioners including eight Youth Commissioners.
Moving beyond the simple inclusion of young people, this Commission is committed to meaningful and continuous youth engagement and working towards the establishment of complementary and equal partnerships. At the Nairobi meeting, all sessions were co-chaired by young people (our Youth Commissioners). A dedicated session was devoted to emphasizing and ensuring the youth voice is mainstreamed in all Commission activities.
Participating in the Lancet Commission has been a valuable learning experience. I have heard and been exposed to new upcoming concepts related to adolescent well-being and have been exposed to networking experiences as I have met relevant stakeholders in adolescent wellbeing and created lifetime connections. Rita Frinue Tamambang, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Through continued collaborative efforts and cutting-edge research, the forthcoming Commission report will offer a comprehensive set of investment, policy, and research actions aimed at securing a brighter and just future for today’s young people.
I felt such a strong sense of collaboration and shared responsibility between seniors and the Youth Commissioners at this meeting.
Luwam Gebrekristos, Drexel University, United States of America
Post this meeting, Commissioners took the opportunity to meet with key Kenyan stakeholders. The meeting involved lively discussions around regional trends, identification of success stories, and targeted needs for future action.
Read more about the Commission and the Commissions workplan here.
The meeting fostered an environment of continuous conversation and knowledge sharing. Everyone was encouraged to share their insights and experiences as well as ongoing research, promoting collaboration and exchange of ideas. Luo Li, University of Melbourne, Australia
Professors Pete Azzopardi and Susan Sawyer, with Molly O’Sullivan (Senior Project and Communications Officer) and Luo Li (PhD student) from the Centre for Adolescent Heath attended the meeting.
The meeting was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
APHRC is a pan-African, non-profit, regional research institute committed to conducting high-quality research on population, health, education and urban challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). APHRC’s mission is to generate evidence, strengthen research capacity, and engage policy to inform action on population health and wellbeing. To achieve this mission, APHRC brings together a multi-disciplinary team of African scholars to lead the development of priority research programs and enhance the use of research findings for policy formulation and program improvement in SSA.
This article has been republished from the CAH Global Adolescent Health website. Read the original article.