It is incontrovertible that the peace and security challenges experienced in Africa from the 1990s put continental and international attention on the key roles played by young men and women in episodes of armed conflict and insecurity. Successive wars and violations of formal peace agreements and processes across the continent further heightened the attention and concern of policy institutions to the participation of youth in armed conflicts and violence. Across the divide, young people continue to constitute the core of combatants, while also representing a significant number of those affected by armed conflicts, violent extremism, banditry, violent protests and gender-based violence in Africa. For instance, in addition to disruption of education and youth-sensitive socio-economic activities, “estimates of direct conflict deaths in 2015 suggest that more than 90 percent of all casualties involved young males.”
Institutionalizing Social Participation for Health and Well-being | Why social participation for health and well-being?
In the context of significant global economic and health challenges, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening and institutionalising social participation must be a priority to advance health and well-being. Social participation – defined as empowering people, communities, and civil society through inclusive participation in decision-making processes that affect health across the policy cycle and at all levels of the system is a crucial element of good governance for health. The policy cycle involves situational analysis, priority setting, planning, budget, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review, which occur at community, district, regional and national levels.