Unleashing Creativity: PAHO’s Youth Voices Contest Empowers Young People to Improve Healthcare Services in Latin America

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

The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2024. Participants can submit their proposals individually or as a group, and can choose from various creative categories such as painting, drawing, illustration, comic, poem, narrative, video, song, and even Artificial Intelligence (AI). This marks the first time that AI has been included in this third edition of the contest.

Access to healthcare means being able to receive comprehensive, appropriate, timely, and high-quality health services when needed according to PAHO. Dr. Sonja Caffe emphasized that PAHO’s commitment is to providing quality health services for all and highlighted the importance of understanding young people’s needs and expectations to enhance service delivery.

The Youth Voices contest was first introduced in 2022 with a focus 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 and met the requirements while submitting their proposals. Winners will receive cash prizes and their original works created specifically for this competition will be showcased on PAHO communication platforms and related campaigns.

This contest provides an opportunity for young people to express themselves creatively while also making a meaningful contribution towards improving healthcare services available for them. By encouraging dialogue around these issues, it promotes greater awareness about preventable deaths and illnesses among young people in Latin America.

Overall, this initiative by PAHO highlights its commitment towards ensuring accessibility of comprehensive healthcare services that cater specifically to young people’s needs.