Y7 Health track policies announced

Calling for policy changes in social determinants of health, attitudes towards mental health, and digital health

Y7 Health track policies announced

After collecting thousands of young people’s thoughts, views and experiences across the world, the G7’s youth engagement group, the Y7, released their communique. Y7 Health delegates have put together policy suggestions to be presented at the Y7 14th-15th May. These will then be presented to the world leaders at the G7 summit in Cornwall, UK on June 13-14th, 2021. 

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by future generations for years to come. We envisage a world of universal access to robust healthcare systems, where service provision and education embraces the potential of digital technologies and recognises the mental health needs of its recipients.”

The suggested policies focus on:

Social Determinants of Health

By 2030, Y7 delegates call for G7 leaders to implement:

  1. Ensure accessible, equitable and high-quality health literacy education for young people, especially those in marginalised groups, through its inclusion in school programmes both domestically and internationally.  

  2. Strengthen health systems by increasing public healthcare spending by 1% of GDP to ensure accessible, affordable and fundamental healthcare, particularly global, equitable COVID-19 vaccination access before the end of 2021. 

  3. Implement better quality and evidence-based community healthcare and social care programmes that reduce health and social disparities among marginalised populations, as well as stronger anti-discrimination accountability standards in healthcare environments.

Mental Health

By 2030, Y7 delegates call for G7 leaders to implement:

  1. Introduce mental health stigma eradication measures through incorporating educational curricula changes and targeted campaigns immediately, and train young people to be able to adequately support peers facing mental health crises. 

  2. Provide universal, accessible, affordable mental health care services both as part of primary care provision and in convenient environments such as educational and workplace settings, where youth may seek help. 

  3. Include youth directly in designing, delivering, promoting and evaluating mental health services intended for them by valuing their expertise and lived experience through data based processes, including disaggregated data analyses.

Digital Health

By 2030, Y7 delegates call for G7 leaders to implement:

  1. Increase the digitalization of health services to empower patients and improve patient care through better digital infrastructure, use of novel medical technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships. 

  2. Ensure safe, regulated and reliable cyberspace in healthcare by providing cyber-education for medical professionals and investing in secure, accessible monitoring systems, with an emphasis on patient information privacy. 

  3. Create interoperable, secure digital health ecosystems that permit public epidemiological and health research data collection where findings are shared equitably, privacy guarantees are robust and pandemic responsiveness is strengthened. 

Commenting, Haarith Ndiaye, the U.K.’s Health Delegate, said:

“It is important, now more than ever, for leaders to acknowledge the youth voice and to recognise the value we bring to the table. These recommendations reflect the values and beliefs of thousands of young people across G7 nations and at their core are calling for more equitable and safer societies. We call upon G7 leaders to act upon our policy proposals as part of a wider commitment to improving the well-being of all citizens and building back better whilst leaving no country behind.”

You can read the Y7 full communique here

Do you agree with these policy suggestions? Let us know in the comments below!

Header Image Credit: Hush Naidoo

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Elle Farrell-Kingsley

Elle Farrell-Kingsley Kickstart Team

Elle is a Journalist and Presenter interested in all things arts, current affairs, technology, gaming, culture, politics and policy. She's based in Surrey and London, and when she's not writing, she's taking part in her local MMA classes or travelling.

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