Organisation of African Youth~Kenya

Health Policy Leadership Development Programme

Program area: Health and Wellbeing & Gender and Social Inclusion Leadership Development Since 2021, OAY with the support of Global Financing Facility (GFF) hosted by the Word Bank and PMNCH hosted by World Health Organization has been strengthening capacity of Health Youth Advocates from different youth led and youth serving organizations under the Health Policy Leadership Development Programme ( #HPLDP).

Programmatic area: Health and Wellbeing

Overview

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Health Policy Leadership Development Programme

01 Summary

Program area: Health and Wellbeing & Gender and Social Inclusion Leadership Development
Since 2021, OAY with the support of Global Financing Facility (GFF) hosted by the Word Bank and PMNCH hosted by World Health Organization has been strengthening capacity of Health Youth Advocates from different youth led and youth serving organizations under the Health Policy Leadership Development Programme ( #HPLDP).
As part of the Global Financing Facility (GFF) 2030 Strategy, the Health Policy Leadership Development Programme (#HPLDP) empowers young people to advocate for their reproductive health rights. Managed by Organization of African Youth (OAY) , this initiative focuses on:
Capacity Building: Training youth leaders from various organizations to navigate and influence
health policy landscapes (RMNCAH+N)
Strategic Advocacy: Equipping advocates with the skills to champion sexual and reproductive
health interests at local, national, and global levels.
Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement(MAYE) Principle in health advocacy focusing on shifting young people from being passive recipients of information to being active co-designers, co-implementers and joint players in accountability of health systems and programmes.
#HPLDP utilizes Expert-Led Resources specialized training manual developed with technical
support from experts from key institutions such as National Council on Population and
Development , the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Ministry of Health and Kisumu and Nairobi Counties and GFF CSOs Hub.
OAY developed #HPLDP Training Manual . The Training manual was adapted from advocating for change for adolescents toolkit by PMNCH, MOH and OAY in 2019. Ultimately, the programme aims to ensure youth networks have a seat at the table in health and GFF decision-making processes

02 Strategy

Empowering youth through policy advocacy is a powerful tool for driving systemic public health and socio-economic change. The #HPLDP initiative addresses this by integrating with the GFF Strategy 2026–2030, prioritizing digital health literacy, data-centric advocacy, and sustainable local frameworks.
The GFF is defined by its inclusive approach, bringing a wide range of partners into both local and global decision-making. Civil society and youth groups provide grassroots insights and advocate for better funding and equity, while amplifying innovations that save and improve lives. This alignment is also critical, as the 2025 World Bank "Jobs" report warns of a looming 300-million-job deficit over the next ten years—a crisis that disproportionately threatens young women and the African continent. To grow a productive health workforce, countries must invest in young
people. As the need for healthcare rises in Africa, building up primary health care (PHC) systems offers a major opportunity to create quality jobs. This is especially impactful for young women, who already represent the vast majority of the global health sector.

03 Key Actions

04 Impacts

  1. By mastering policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring, adolescent and youth leaders can effectively advocate for their reproductive rights through steady dialogue with decision-makers.
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