Who we are
The Commonwealth Youth Health Network (CYHN) is a youth-led network that partners with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the 54 Commonwealth member countries in achieving health-related development goals, with a particular focus on the needs of adolescents and young people.
CYHN was launched on 24 June 2016 at Marlborough House in London, UK. Its current Chair is Lucy Fagan from the United Kingdom and the Network Coordinator is Ellen Peprah from Ghana.
What we do
CYHN seeks to bring the voices of young people from across the Commonwealth, including those from small island states and indigenous communities, to the forefront on issues affecting their health and wellbeing. Network members include students, researchers, health care professionals, journalists, development workers and more – all of whom are passionate about achieving health for all.
Priority areas for the network include mental health, non-communicable diseases, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Recently the network has led work on mental health awareness in the Caribbean, empowered young people to advocate for youth-friendly health services in India and Bangladesh, and supported youth-led efforts across the Commonwealth in response to COVID-19.
Upcoming Opportunities
Look out and follow closely for the following upcoming opportunities and initiatives:
- CYHN Executive Committee (EXCO) Recruitment – 10 new roles available. See details here: Deadline: 20th March, 2022
- Launch of A4HPV – Commonwealth Youth Taskforce for HPV and Cervical Cancer
- Commonwealth Moves – A commonwealth wide project to increase the adoption of a healthier lifestyle
- CYHN @ CYF 2022 – Follow and support the team as they call for action to improve developments in health in the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022.