Event highlights
17 January 2025
In late December 2024, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, and the WHO/Europe team met online with young people from the Youth4Health network for the first youth consultation on the Second European Programme of Work (EPW2).
The new regional health agenda, for 2026–2030, aims to serve everyone and will be co-created and co-owned by Member States, civil society, nongovernmental organizations and many more stakeholders. Continued dialogue and collaboration with young people within the Youth4Health initiative is part of Dr Kluge’s pledge to ensure EPW2 is efficient, inclusive and responsive to the needs of current and future generations.
“Youth are the architects of tomorrow’s world,” stated Dr Kluge in his opening remarks. “To prepare our health systems for global megatrends, we need more than just feedback from youth – we need to collaborate and co-create solutions.”
Insights from the youth consultation
Today the Region is facing unique health challenges shaped by global megatrends: an ageing population, shrinking workforce, social and political polarization, waning trust in institutions, climate change impacts, the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, and others. All of this is set against the backdrop of a surge in inequities and violence, particularly against women and children.
At the consultation, young people shared their perspectives on pressing issues they feel should find their way into EPW2 – most of which align with the identified megatrends. In addition, they outlined the following priority areas for action:
- the toll powerful commercial interests have on public health;
- concerns about their peers’ physical activity levels and mental well-being;
- the need for putting lived experience at the heart of medical workforce training; and
- challenges related to mis- and disinformation and health literacy.
Based on the achievements of EPW1 (2020–2025) and insights from the consultation process, EPW2 will chart a course for health systems that can anticipate and respond to future demands while ensuring equitable health access for all.
What’s coming up next
The consultation process continues with a series of thematic online hearings covering five key topics: noncommunicable diseases and mental health, healthy ageing, technology and innovation for future health systems, climate change and health, and health security and emergency preparedness.
These sessions will combine plenary discussions and workshops, uniting Member State representatives, researchers, health professionals, civil society, the private sector and youth. Youth4Health network members can already apply to participate as speakers and facilitators.
Once the consultations and hearings are over, key insights from them will make their way into the draft text of EPW2, that will then be discussed and presented to Member States for adoption at the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in October 2025.
About Youth4Health
Launched in 2021 by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, the Youth4Health initiative has evolved into a powerful platform for meaningful youth engagement in health decision-making. The initiative embeds young people’s perspectives in all areas of WHO/Europe’s work, ensuring its priorities respond to unique challenges faced by one third of the Region’s population.
The Youth4Health network, formally established in 2023, connects young people with peers and WHO’s technical teams across the Region. It now comprises more than 39 youth organizations and 213 individual representatives from 36 countries.
The network has already achieved significant impact through various initiatives, from co-designing toolkits to leading immunization advocacy and contributing to key health declarations.
Individual youth activists and organizations in the European Region can apply to join the Youth4Health network, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
You can find out more about the initiative and network in the dedicated sections on the WHO/Europe website. For youth engagement opportunities within EPW2 and beyond, contact euroyouth@who.int.
Event notice
The youth consultation will bring together young people from the Youth4Health network with WHO/Europe leadership to discuss the Second European Programme of Work (EPW2), a health agenda for 2026–2030. The meeting will explore ways to integrate youth perspectives into EPW2, addressing critical health challenges and ensuring inclusive, forward-looking solutions. Key focus areas include tackling the impacts of powerful commercial interests on public health, improving health literacy, promoting mental well-being, and embedding lived experiences in workforce training.