Rethink Healthcare for Young People: PAHO Launches ‘Youth Voices’ Creative Contest

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington DC is launching the 2024 “Youth Voices” creative contest on July 1. This contest is open to adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 24 from the Americas. They are invited to share their thoughts on how to enhance the quality of health services available to young people.

For the first time in this third edition, there is also a category that utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI). Participants can submit their proposals individually or as a group, and they can choose from various creative categories such as painting, drawing, illustration, comic, poem, narrative, video, and song.

The Youth Voices 2024 contest aims to gather insights from young people on how to improve the quality and accessibility of health services for them. With this goal in mind, PAHO emphasizes the importance of understanding young people’s needs and expectations to enhance service delivery. By doing so, PAHO hopes to reduce preventable deaths and illnesses and promote the overall health and well-being of young people in the Americas.

Access to healthcare means being able to receive comprehensive, appropriate, timely, and high-quality health services when needed according to PAHO. Dr. Sonja Caffe, PAHO’s Regional Advisor on Adolescent Health highlighted this commitment by emphasizing that it’s crucial for everyone to have access to quality healthcare services regardless of age or social status. She stressed that understanding young people’s needs is critical for delivering effective health services that meet their expectations and ultimately saves lives.

The Youth Voices contest was first introduced in 2022 focusing on preventing adolescent pregnancy followed by a second edition in 2023 dedicated to mental health. Over 800 adolescents and young people from the Americas have participated in previous contests meeting all requirements and submitting their proposals.

Winners of this year’s Youth Voices contest will receive cash prizes for their original works created specifically for this competition which will be showcased on PAHO communication platforms along with related campaigns.

Overall this competition is an excellent opportunity for young people across America who wish to contribute towards improving healthcare services in their communities through creative expression while gaining recognition for their efforts at national level.