Youth Health – be healthy, be yourself

The European Youth Health Initiative aims to help young people to be better informed about the health issues affecting them, encourage them to become more involved in health policy discussions and, ultimately, support them in making the right health decisions for themselves and their friends.

The ‘Youth Health’ initiative started up in July 2009 at the ‘Be healthy, be yourself’ conference organised in co-operation with the European Youth Forum – a youth-led platform representing 98 national youth councils and international youth organisations from across Europe.

Following the conference, a Youth Health roadmap was drawn up outlining a number of actions aimed at improving the health of young people across Europe. These included:

  • Encouraging young people to get involved in health policy decisions that affect them and their friends;
  • Looking at ways to reach disadvantaged and vulnerable communities of young people;
  • Exploring new ways of communicating about health issues that are more accessible and appealing to young people.

At the end of the day, Youth Health wants to involve young people more in protecting their own health and make sure they are well equipped to make healthy lifestyle choices. This covers a whole range of issues affecting young people – from the importance of eating well and keeping fit, to managing alcohol consumption, exercise, sex and mental health.

EU activities on Youth Health provide support to national governments, NGOs and health services, helping them take action to improve the health of young people in their countries. They are also aimed at getting young people more involved in discussions relating to health policy and encouraging them to make responsible lifestyle choices.

You can follow the Youth Health Initiative on Facebook

More information: