EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly facing multiple Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) that require rapid response.

However, the disaster-preparedness of most African countries remains inadequate. Initiatives such as the African Union (AU) Bingwa COVID-19 Vaccination initiative provide a compelling model for engaging youth in emergency response, demonstrating that their involvement can expedite access to vaccines at the grassroots level, strengthen community resilience, combat disinformation and enhance response effectiveness. This Policy Brief outlines the key lessons from the AU Bingwa Initiative, emphasizing the need for structured youth participation, leveraging digital engagements and creatives, as well as the need for political will and support to maximize the impact of youth-driven approaches to future PHE responses. The policy brief is based on evidence from the impact report of the AU Bingwa initiative to articulate key insights that policy makers and practitioners in the PHE response sector may consider when crafting interventions that are intended to actively involve the youth in future.

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