Youth Taking Lead in Advancing Mental Health Across the ECSA Region

ECSA-HC Marks World Mental Health Day 2025 by Highlighting Youth-Driven Action

The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) joins the global community in commemorating World Mental Health Day 2025, under the theme “Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies.”
This year, the spotlight turns to the region’s young people who are increasingly taking the lead in transforming mental-health awareness, advocacy, and service delivery across Member States

Addressing a Growing Crisis

Across the world, mental-health challenges continue to rise, intensified by conflict, climate change, displacement, and economic pressures. In humanitarian settings, nearly half of those affected are young people under the age of 18, with up to 40 percent experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition.
The ripple effects extend far beyond individual wellbeing undermining education, productivity, and community stability.

Youth-Led Initiatives Driving Change

In the ECSA region, young advocates have stepped forward with practical, data-driven solutions. Through partnerships with the ECSA-HC Secretariat, Commonwealth Secretariat, and national youth networks, they have conducted community research and mobilized peers to reshape how mental health is discussed and supported.

Findings from recent youth-led studies revealed key stressors including unemployment, relationship pressures, and academic gaps, alongside the critical role of social media as a learning and support platform. Instead of viewing this as a challenge, youth leaders have leveraged digital platforms to promote awareness and peer-to-peer engagement.

In August 2025, these efforts culminated in a regional intergenerational dialogue bringing together policymakers, health experts, and young leaders to co-design the region’s first Youth Mental Health Framework.

Four Strategic Pillars for Youth Mental Health

Through the Commonwealth Youth Health Network, young leaders proposed four interconnected pillars to guide future programming:

1. Governance and Leadership – Adoption of youth-responsive policies, enhanced mental-health data systems, and increased national budget allocations.
2. Youth-Friendly Service Delivery – Expansion and digitalization of mental-health services that are accessible and stigma-free.
3. Prevention and Resilience – Integration of mental-health education into school curricula and continuous community anti-stigma campaigns.
4. Partnership and Empowerment – Establishment of youth advisory councils and capacity-building for youth advocates in all Member States.

Youth Champions in Action

ECSA-HC acknowledges the remarkable leadership of youth champions across the region who continue to drive mental-health advocacy forward.
Among them are:

• Salome Mosha – Commonwealth Youth Leader, ECSA Caucus, for her instrumental role in mobilizing youth voices and promoting inclusion of mental health in regional policy dialogues.
• Gideon Gachihi – Commonwealth Youth Leader, ECSA Caucus, for advancing evidence-based youth advocacy and fostering peer networks that link mental health to education and social innovation.
• ECSA Youth Ambassadors and National Representatives across Member States, whose ongoing community-based initiatives continue to destigmatize mental health and promote wellbeing among adolescents and young adults.

Their contributions exemplify the power of youth leadership and serve as a model for collaborative, community-centered action across the region.

ECSA-HC’s Commitment

ECSA-HC recognizes the essential role of youth in shaping resilient health systems and remains committed to supporting Member States in integrating youth perspectives into national mental-health strategies.
By empowering young leaders, investing in prevention, and expanding access to care, the region moves closer to a future where every young person can thrive mentally, socially, and economically.