Youth Health Activists Presents Y4H (Youth For Health) Charter to Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi, Delhi, India

The young health activists participating in the 'Global Youth Meet on Health 2006' (GYM 2006) today created "Youth For Health" (Y4H), a global health advocacy network which will provide a platform for young people across the world to campaign for policies that will protect the health of their generation. Y4H charter was presented to Dr. Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister of Delhi , at the closing ceremony of GYM 2006 in Delhi today.

After four days of intensive deliberations, which involved interactions with 70 national and international experts and formulation of action plans, young persons from 34 countries resolved to initiate actions in several areas of health, through national, regional and global programmes.

The recommendations of GYM 2006 included:
-- Comprehensive ban on smoking world in public places-Smoke free world.
-- Urging celebrities to refrain from endorsing on promoting harmful products such as junk food and carbonated drinks
-- Launching campaigns around regulating food industry (eliminate use of trans- fats and lower the quantity of salt and sugar in food products.
-- Advocating policies that increase the availability of fruits and vegetables at affordable prices.
-- Provision of nutritious mid-day meals in schools
-- Switch over to healthy foods in school cafeterias
-- Sex related information to be imported in schools through an open educational process, as the basis for promoting responsible sexual behaviour among youth and prevention of HIV infection.
-- Strengthening awareness efforts around prevention of HIV
-- Promotion of gender equity in all areas of social life, as the basis for improving the health of girls, young women and children.
-- Creating conditions for safe and regular physical activity, in schools and communities
-- Road safety measures which include speed limits on automobiles, increased vehicle taxes, crack down on drunken driving, wider pedestrian pathways, safe crossing zones and protected cycle lanes.
-- Policies that promote peace and non-violent resolution of conflicts within and between countries
-- Protection of the environment by reducing air and water pollution, stalling the process of global warming and promoting water conservation, since a healthy environment is essential for human health.

Y4H will emerge as a global movement of young health activists that will conduct regular exchange of views and activities on policy issues related to health. They will have concerted global e-advocacy and regularly coordinate national and international health action programs. Y4H envisages a worldwide movement of health advocacy by young change agents that will evolve into a powerful global platform of advocacy for health promoting policies. This network will be facilitated by e-connectivity and assisted by HRIDAY-SHAN, WHO and World Heart Federation.

The charter was prepared over a six day symposium in Agra from November 15 - 18, 2006 where the young health activists discussed issues relating to health and development, promoting policies to combat addictions such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs, policies to promote intake of healthy diet and nutrition, policies to promote physical activity, measures to prevent HIV, promote healthy gender relations, measures to promote peace and non-violent resolution of conflicts, policies to protect the environment and policies to promote road safety. The event witnessed technical sessions with a number of renowned international and national health experts from the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation, American Cancer Society, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNDP, Global Smoke-Free Partnerships, Essential Actions and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Speaking on the occasion Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, the Executive Director of HRIDAY-SHAN which organized GYM 2006 and will also coordinate the Y4H network, said , "the birth of a global movement of youth health advocacy augurs well for correcting social and economic distortions that are damaging the health of the younger generation. The youth have finally decided to take charge of shaping their future in a healthier form and have begun demanding policies which will protect their present and future health".

The meet was organized by HRIDAY-SHAN (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth - Student Health Action Network) and is the first of its kind in the world.

About Hriday-Shan
HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) and SHAN (Student Health Action Network) are two components of a voluntary organization (HRIDAY), involving health professionals and social scientists, that aim to promote health awareness and informed health activism among school and college students. HRIDAY was born in June 1992 as a response to India 's health transition, wherein altered living habits were leading to rising burdens of heart diseases, diabetes and cancers. Community mobilization through health education is a key element of a comprehensive public health response to this transition and the youth, in particular, needs to be involved and engaged in informed health advocacy.

Siddharth Kumar, Comma Consulting, +91 9810267907 skumar@comma.in

Source: HRIDAY-SHAN (Business Wire India)

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