🎉 Happy Youth Day, Zambia!
Today, 12th March 2025, Zambia comes together to celebrate National Youth Day — a day dedicated to honouring the pivotal role young people have played in shaping Zambia’s political independence and driving national development. This year’s theme, “Voices Amplified and Innovations Ignited,” serves as a powerful reminder that Zambia’s future is directly tied to how well we empower and support our youth.
🔎 Zambia’s Youth: A Demographic Powerhouse
Did you know that Zambia has one of the youngest populations in the world? Over 50% of Zambians are under 18, and 72% are younger than 30. This youthful demographic presents both incredible potential and significant challenges for national development. If adequately supported, Zambia’s youth could be the driving force behind economic growth and social transformation.
🚀 Government Efforts to Empower the Youth
The Zambian government has made notable strides in addressing the needs of young people through:
✅ The Revised National Youth Policy
✅ The Adolescent Health Strategy
✅ Entrepreneurship and business funding programmes
These initiatives aim to provide young people with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. However, despite these efforts, young people continue to face numerous challenges — especially when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
⚠️ The Harsh Reality of SRHR Challenges
The statistics are concerning:
- About 32% of adolescents aged 15-17 and 60% of those aged 18-19 are sexually active.
- Only 40% of sexually active youth report regular condom use.
- 5.6% of female youth (15–25 years) and 1.8% of male youth are living with HIV.
- Over 29% of girls under 20 in Zambia have experienced teenage pregnancy.
Southern Province has the highest teenage pregnancy rate at 42.5%, followed by Eastern Province (39.5%), Muchinga (29.3%), and Luapula (29%). The situation is even more severe in rural areas, where 37% of teenagers have begun childbearing, compared to 19% in urban areas.
🌍 SHARP Project: A Game-Changer for Youth Health
To tackle these challenges, the Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP) is spearheading the Solutions for Supporting Healthy Adolescents and Rights Protection (SHARP) project. This initiative focuses on:
✅ Providing accessible, affordable, and quality SRH services.
✅ Working with policymakers, faith leaders, influencers, and youth to drive systemic change.
✅ Empowering adolescent girls with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about their health.
🛑 Barriers to Overcome
To achieve long-lasting improvements in youth health and well-being, we must break down the following barriers:
❌ Stigma and discrimination tied to gender and social norms.
❌ Poor quality SRH services and judgmental health worker attitudes.
❌ Inadequate funding and long distances to health centres.
❌ Parental resistance to providing consent for SRH services due to cultural misconceptions.
💪 A Call to Action
As we reflect on this year’s Youth Day theme — “Voices Amplified and Innovations Ignited” — MedRAP calls upon all stakeholders to unite in improving access to SRH services for young people. Youth empowerment starts with ensuring they have the right to make informed decisions about their health and future.
👊 The future of Zambia lies in the hands of our youth. Let’s empower them today to lead us into a better tomorrow.
🎉 Happy Youth Day, Zambia! 🇿🇲
Liyoka Liyoka
Executive Director, MedRAP
👉 Join the conversation! Share your thoughts on how Zambia can better support its youth. Let’s make this Youth Day the beginning of a brighter future! 💬💪
#YouthDay2025 #ZambiaYouth #EmpowerOurYouth #VoicesAmplified #InnovationsIgnited
