YHP Jamaica
Overview: The YHP UNICEF partnership
The Young Health Programme (YHP) and UNICEF partner to support a global movement of young people advocating for healthier lives and the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Since 2019, the partnership has worked to ensure that adolescent health is prioritised within national systems and policies.
The collaboration is built around three pillars:
- Awareness: Increasing understanding of NCD risks and protective behaviours.
- Empowerment: Equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to shape their health and wellbeing.
- Action: Supporting youth engagement in policy processes and strengthening systems that enable healthier environments.
In Jamaica, the programme combines youth leadership, health education and policy advocacy to address NCD risk factors and create healthier food environments, with mental health and wellbeing underpinning this work.
The local context
NCDs are a major health challenge in Jamaica:
- An estimated 69% of deaths were due to NCDs in 2021.1
- 61.1% of people aged 15 and over were living with overweight or obesity in 2022.2
- 8.6% of people aged 15 and over used tobacco in 2023.2
Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption increase NCD risk. Social, commercial and physical environments also shape these behaviours.3
Our objectives
To reduce young people’s future risk of NCDs and support lifelong health and wellbeing, with:
- Greater knowledge and confidence to make healthier choices.
- A stronger youth voice in decisions affecting adolescent health.
- Healthier environments and policies that protect young people.
Our focus
Early NCD prevention through youth leadership, health education and healthier environments. Mental health and wellbeing underpin this approach, supporting young people to make informed choices and participate in shaping change.
Our programme
Implemented by UNICEF Jamaica as part of the wider YHP–UNICEF partnership, the Programme brings together school and community education, youth advocacy and work with government.
1. Awareness
- School sessions with the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network build understanding of nutrition, healthy choices and school food policy.
- Teen Hubs in Kingston and St Thomas offer life-skills education on nutrition, substance use and wellbeing, alongside mental health support.
2. Empowerment
- Fix My Food, a youth movement for healthier food environments, helps young people develop campaigns and engage decision-makers.
- Advocacy and media training equips young people to call for clearer front-of-package warning labels and healthier food policies.
3. Action
- Youth consultations and policy dialogue bring young people’s experiences into national nutrition policy discussions.
- Work with the Ministry of Education strengthens school health and nutrition content, expected to reach more than 100,000 students once fully implemented.
- The U-Matter Chatline provides confidential, text-based mental health support, complementing the Programme’s NCD prevention focus.
Our achievements in 2025
- 19,300 young people reached with nutrition education, life-skills training and mental health support.
- 600 young people supported to call for policy change through Fix My Food.
- 49 youth advocates trained in advocacy and media skills.
- Youth consultations and sustained advocacy contributed to Cabinet approval of the National School Nutrition Policy in April 2025.
- Management of the U-Matter Chatline transferred to the Government of Jamaica.
Our partner
The Young Health Programme partnership with UNICEF aims to catalyse a global advocacy movement led by young people for the promotion of healthier lifestyles. The focus is on raising awareness of key issues, empowering young people to advocate, and taking policy action to create meaningful and lasting change.
Photo Credit: ©Unicef/Dawe19
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
References:
3. WHO (2025). Noncommunicable diseases.