For World Malaria Day 2025, The EastAfrican shared a piece on how Africa’s youth are stepping up to confront one of its oldest health challenges.

Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with over 60 percent of its population under the age of 25. Young people are increasingly seen as central to progress in health, education, technology, and governance.

While this growing youth movement is making a real impact, several challenges still stand in the way of broader progress. Among these are longstanding gender-related barriers. In many communities, adolescent girls and young women face added obstacles when it comes to protecting themselves from malaria. These include limited access to information, cultural norms that restrict decision-making, and structural gaps in how services are delivered.

To address these barriers directly, young people in several countries are stepping up through community-driven initiatives supported by the Gender Equality Fund. Funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in partnership with GSK and ViiV Healthcare, the Gender Equity Fund backs youth-led action to advance gender equality in health.