#InTheEyesOfMC: Hot Vibes (Climate Change, SRHR & Youth Edition)

It has been close to one month since I wrote my last rumbling (or rather postponed publishing this because of current developments). Fortunately, I gave you two-for-one with the last 2 articles on my WHO EB 152 reflection

Welcome back, everyone! With International Adolescent Health Week starting this week (March 19-25, 2023); this #InTheEyesOfMC rumble will give a super summary analysis of the hot issues, affecting a heated population and highlights hot off the press of events attended and experiences from designations held within the past month (hope you've gotten the pun) i.e

1. The Kenyan Minister of Health's statement on contraceptives (link )
2. The #1point8 campaign by PMNCH (link )
3. The 2023 Africa Health Agenda International Conference (#AHAIC2023 ) by AMREF (link )
4. The 2023 #WajibuWetu (Our Responsibility) Summit by RESPEKT (link )
5. The #SheShapes report launch by Women in Global Health (link )

So five events and I have summarized key lessons into five (the longer analysis can be found on my Twitter Handle ).

So shall we start the #InTheEyesOfMC rumble?

1. Ignorance is Still Bliss on Matters Climate Change, SRHR and Youth

I had the esteemed pleasure to facilitate a session at the #AHAIC2023 #YouthZone by Y-ACT Youth In Action on "Youth-Led Action on Climate Change: The Critical Role of Leadership, Participation, & Governance in Building a Sustainable Future," (you can recap the detailed review of the session via this LinkedIn Post ).

My key message was summarized into ISAGEE ie Inclusion, Sustainability, Accountability, Governance, Environment, and Equity?(I was going for the Ice-Age movies analogy)

One thing that came out clearly was how many young people have learned about Climate Change from the internet and not formal education (unless they did an Environmental Health based course). This aligns with my own personal experience learning about climate change; I learnt introductory concepts about it during my interactions with the IFMSA | International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) whilst in medical school and this gap was captured by IFMSA in their survey that found that climate change is taught in only 15% of medical schools worldwide under the leadership of the then Liasion Officer for Public Health Issues Omnia El Omrani, MD , and my continued engagements with IFMSA alumni passionate about climate change post-medical school (e.g. in this BMJ Global Health Commentary on Sustainable World Health Assemblies).

There are also evident gaps in regionally-based data on Climate change, especially in the Africa and Asia regions. However, following the #AHAIC2023 The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change announced a call for African researchers here . A step in the right direction. Furthermore, we must acknowledge that there still is more work to be done on the linkage between Climate change and SRHR. At the #AHAIC2023 #YouthZone , we discussed this from a menstrual hygiene management lens, but that is not exhaustive as I echoed in my LinkedIn post on the discussions at #AHAIC2023 . We need more discussions on women and youth engagement in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Fortunately, we have Women Deliver 2023 Hybrid Conference , in July 2023 which aims to not only be a zero waste conference but already has an evidence review on the link between climate change and SRHR that was released in January 2021 and COP28 UAE later in the year.

As we acknowledge that attaining ISAGEE ie Inclusion, Sustainability, Accountability, Governance, Environment, and Equity?can be fast-tracked by digital solutions and the internet, this does not come without some limitations...

2. The Future is Digital

Now we must acknowledge that despite the increased internet coverage across the world especially on the African Continent, this blessing of having the internet at your fingertips is making more and more people, prone to misinformation and disinformation and in the long run, this leads to people making health decisions that have a negative impact to them individually and at a societal level. I think Fred here summarizes it best

I summarized this phenomenon as "Clever Fools" during the second-day panel of the #RESPEKTConference2023 on Promoting Access to SRHR Services for Young People (you can recap the session here ), as captured by Victor Kigen , a medical student from Moi University and a former MSAKE - Medical Students' Associations of Kenya official via his Tweet . For all that it is worth, we must acknowledge that technology is also making accessing health information and services easier. With applications like BYON8 and initiatives like the #1point8 campaign by PMNCH which has a "Want Young People Want"?Chatbot , where you can have a conversation in close to 6 languages on the health and well-being of people aged 16-24 years (the hot years), we have some progress.

3. Women are Still Being Left Behind

Women in Global Health released a report late last week dubbed #SheShapes , The State of Women and Leadership in Global Health with data from India, Kenya and Nigeria

Super summary of the report: Over the last five years women’s leadership in global health has remained unchanged i.e. women still hold only 25% of senior leadership roles (you can read the report here and recap the launch event here )

One key thing that came up at the launch event, was the need for mutual collaboration to break the glass ceiling, especially the call to action to address the asymmetries in global health e..g having more male allyship in gender transformative leadership in global health (seeing as the men are missing in action) and breaking the glass ceiling by having more women from the global south lead global health entities

4. PEAs are a good legume. Equally, Partnerships that foster Engagement to hold each other Accountable are key

My key call to action in my engagement this past week was PEA: Partnerships that foster Engagement to hold each other Accountable (you can find more context in the following LinkedIn Post ). For #HealthForAll to be attained, especially Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights #SRHR , we all need to have mutual trust, and understanding so as to collaborate better.

This finally takes me back to the Kenyan Minister of Health's statement on contraceptive use amongst adolescents and youth (link ) (the elephant in the room). You see this statement was made on the sidelines of the 2023 African Union (AU) Summit to one of our national dailies as captured by Leon Lidigu . Coincidentally, Kenya won the best Best RMNCAH scorecard tool of the Joyce Kafanabo awards 2022 by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) at the same summit

We must acknowledge that Africa (which Kenya is a part of), has an overpopulation problem as summarized by The Borgen Project here . I have shared in previous #InTheEyesOfMC articles how by 2050 Africa will have 1 billion babies courtest of the region housing 27 out of 30 of the countries with the highest birth rates and currently, 70% of Africans are under the age of 30 years (technically youth as per the AU age cut-off)

It is my hope that health experts in the region are not only thinking of how to address but planning strategic partnerships and engagements with all stakeholders from the community and civil society level to the public and private sectors; because simply put, more people means more resources are needed to ensure that they survive (a reference to my doodle of Fred). That means we will need to not only increase investments but increase the efficient use of these investments, in a region where a good proportion of investments are wasted due to graft. Hence my call for accountability

This means that we reduce the reinvention of the wheel and merge efforts because coincidentally, Africa is a hub of many CSOs and community groups. Something, I am eagerly curious to see be implemented given the announcement by Dr. Githinji Gitahi at #AHAIC2023 of a Pan-African CSO Platform housed by Amref

5. We all have our role to play in this intersectionality crises

The Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ) summarized the concept of intersectionality as the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination “intersect” to create unique dynamics and effects (link ). In addition, the World Economic Forum summarized how intersectionality in organizations can work in the following article .

As I wrap up this rumbling, I would like to say Aluta Continua (the struggle continues) towards health equity. As put by Dr. Oyewale Tomori at the opening ceremony of #AHAIC2023

I will use my final paragraphs to emphasize that we all have our role to play in the quest for #HealthForAll . As the proverb says, "many hands make light work." The past two weeks have emphasised the circle of life in health leadership and governance (hope you got the Lion King analogy) i.e. intergenerational solidarity. We must acknowledge that nothing is permanent. Today, you are the young climate change activist, Greta Thunberg, and tomorrow, you are a young adult climate change activist (I recently had to remind someone she is now 20 years old). Similarly, today you may be a youth advocate or student leader and tomorrow, you may be holding political office e.g. Sakaja Johnson .

It is my hope that with our overpopulated, young African demographic we will remember that poverty is the common enemy as Dr Naphtali Macharia once said in our Kenya Medical Association Young Doctors Network webinar; and that a whole-of-society approach means you need not only your seniors but your juniors and most importantly your peers, not only for knowledge exchange but enhancing of transformative leadership on our continent. The days of young people are the leaders of tomorrow are long gone. As I said, 70% of Africans are under the age of 30 years, so we are the leaders of today. I think this is a good summary of the situation and a parting shot by Dr Ebere Okereke

Till the next #InTheEyesOfMC piece...

Disclaimer: Rumblings expressed in this article are my own. Feedback is always welcome via the comments of my email [email protected]. In addition, if you would like me to do an #InTheEyesOfMC reflection do reach out.