Date & Location:

March 2025, AHAIC 2025 (Africa Health Agenda International Conference)

Partners/Stakeholders Involved:

• Y-ACT (Youth in Action)
• Vital Strategies

Summary 

At the AHAIC 2025, Y-ACT, in collaboration with Vital Strategies, highlighted the critical role of youth in the fight against tobacco use in Africa. As tobacco consumption rises and Africa becomes a key market for tobacco expansion, young people are increasingly targeted by aggressive industry tactics. The conference served as a platform to emphasize the urgent need for youth-led, data-driven advocacy in tackling the growing influence of the tobacco industry, weak regulations, and corporate interference that undermine public health across the continent. Youth advocates took center stage, calling for stronger policies, greater accountability, and a future free from preventable diseases. The discussions focused on how young people are not just passive beneficiaries of policy change but active catalysts, driving policy reforms through increased awareness, digital advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration. With non-communicable diseases on the rise, this session reinforced the need for a unified, youth-driven movement to change the trajectory of tobacco control in Africa and ensure healthier futures for generations to come.

Key Outcomes/Impact Points:

• Reaffirmed the critical role of youth in driving tobacco control and health equity in Africa
• Highlighted the need for stronger policies and regulatory frameworks to combat the tobacco industry’s influence
• Promoted the use of digital advocacy and cross-sector collaboration in tackling non-communicable diseases and tobacco use
• Strengthened the call for youth as catalysts for policy change in the fight for a tobacco-free Africa

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