By Mandisa Dlamini (Communications Assistant)
Each year on 16 June, South Africa honours the brave students of 1976 who marched against apartheid and Bantu education, sparking a movement for freedom and justice.
Launch of Youth Month 2025
On 3 June 2025, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), together with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, officially launched Youth Month at the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto. Under the theme "Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation", this year's programme focuses on job skills, entrepreneurship, and supporting young people's physical and mental wellbeing.
Building Youth Power Through Health
The South African Department of Health (DoH) recognises that without robust health systems and preventative care, youth empowerment remains incomplete. In early 2025, the DoH rolled out its nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign scheduled from 3 February to 28 March to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer, a leading cause of mortality among South African women. This initiative carried out in collaboration with the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), reflects a preventative approach that promises long-term benefits for community health.
Shining a Spotlight on South African Health Systems
The Health Systems Trust (HST) continues to play a vital role in building the foundations for a healthier, more equitable future. Through initiatives like the District Health Barometer, HST empowers young people, researchers, and decision-makers with access to critical health data that drives real-world change. HST launched the 17th edition of its District Health Barometer for 2023/24, complete with an enhanced online interactive dashboard that highlights performance across districts and provinces equipping young activists and policy-makers with the data they need to champion stronger, more equitable care.
Call to Action: Invest in Youth, Invest in the Future
As we honour the courage of the 1976 youth, let us match their legacy with action. Whether you're a policymaker, educator, health worker, researcher, or young leader now is the time to invest in youth wellbeing, leadership, and opportunity.
Youth Day 2025 is a tribute to past sacrifice and a call to invest in the future by strengthening health systems, empowering young leaders, and ensuring all youth can thrive in a changing world.
To learn more about the Department of Health's youth health programmes, visit the South African Department of Health.