AstraZeneca Young Health Programme
A UNICEF partner since 2019
UNICEF and AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme are partnering to support a youth-led global movement to help prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease, and to take action on the growing health impacts of climate change.
Today, NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide, and 70per cent of premature adult deaths are linked to behaviours that begin in adolescence. By 2050, a staggering 86 per cent of all annual deaths are expected to be caused by NCDs, representing a 90 per cent increase from 2019 levels. Many major NCD risk factors, including poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, take hold early in life, while air pollution disproportionately harms children and young people. Climate change is intensifying these challenges, affecting air quality, food systems and the environments where young people live, learn and grow.
“We believe young people have a vital role to play in driving change and our partnership marks an important step in supporting them to take action to prevent non-communicable diseases so we can move beyond awareness and deliver lasting improvements for their health.”
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director
What we’re doing
The partnership’s vision is that every young person should be able to take an active role in protecting and promoting their health and preventing NCDs.
Building on its existing work in Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, Belize and Jamaica, the partnership is also expanding in 2026 to work in Egypt and Thailand.
It is supporting programmes that aim to:
- Reach seven million young people with NCD prevention messages
- Support 2,000 schools and community centres to promote health and wellbeing;
- Train 2,500 frontline workers
- Empower 750,000 young people to advocate for and lead change
- Help shape at least 17 policy actions globally to improve NCD prevention and youth health outcomes
"Health should be seen as one of society’s most important investments - not as a cost. That belief has shaped our U$100 million commitment to the Young Health Programme. We continue to invest in health equity to support millions of people in underserved communities and contribute to more resilient health systems around the world.”
Marc Dunoyer, Chief Executive Officer, Alexion, AstraZeneca Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Executive Sponsor of the YHP
What we’ve achieved
Since 2019, the partnership has focused on educating adolescents and decision-makers on NCD risks and prevention, equipping young people with the skills and support to advocate for and lead change in their communities, and driving systemic change through policies, laws, and effective implementation.
The partnership has already:
- Reached 12 million adolescents with awareness-raising messages
- Trained over 300,000 young advocates to promote NCD prevention
- Positively shaped 29 laws and policies.
In 2025 alone:
In Brazil, 65,057 young people were trained to take action on the growing health impacts of climate change.
In Indonesia, 370 young activists received training and support as they contributed to national policy reviews and international forums on NCD prevention.
In South Africa, 1.28 million young people were educated on nutrition and NCD prevention.
Learn more about AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme
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Last updated 23 September 2026