YLabs

2024 has been a whirlwind—equal parts challenging, exciting, and so rewarding. It’s one of those years where you look back and think, “Wow, we really did that.” From scaling projects across borders to earning global recognition, this year was all about pushing boundaries and showing up for young people in meaningful and powerful ways. Here’s what stood out: 🚀 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗥𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮: After two years of piloting in 40 schools, we scaled the platform nationwide, reaching 50,000+ users—and our groundbreaking 2-year randomized control trial on teenage sexual health, was featured in Nature. Truly a pinch-me moment! 🏆 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗥𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: A massive win for us (and, yes, the trophy is VERY shiny). 🌍 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱: Inspired by CyberRwanda, this sexual wellness platform is co-created with young people in the U.S., starting in California. 🌱 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘅 𝗦𝗥𝗛𝗥 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗯: Our research found ZERO countries include voluntary rights-based continuous contraceptive access as part of their climate adaptation approach. So, we did a lot of research and built tools to help turn that around. 🤝 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: In 2025, we’ll be partnering with EngenderHealth and USAID to expand family planning and reproductive health solutions globally. ✨ And the cherry on top? We welcomed Chinwe Effiong as our new CEO! None of this would have been possible without the incredible people we work with—our team, partners, local communities, and, most importantly, young people. Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to 2025 and all the big dreams waiting to be tackled.🚀

On December 5th, 2024, Dr. Ibrahim Bello, M.D, a YLabs Youth Leadership Cohort member, received the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 for his incredible work on Hope for HER. This project helps women and girls in Gombe, Nigeria, build healthier, better lives. Dr. Ibrahim has also led leadership training for medical students, advocacy programs on sexual and reproductive health, and distributed over 50,000 HIV test kits and contraceptives. He believes education and support are key to change, working toward a world where women and girls can make informed decisions about their health. The Diana Award is the only charity set up in memory of Diana, The Princess of Wales. It recognizes outstanding young people from across the globe working to create and sustain positive social change. Congratulations, Dr. Ibrahim! 🌟 #DianaAward #HopeForHER #YouthLeadership #YLabs

How do we tackle the hidden impacts of the climate crisis on sexual and reproductive health? From rising miscarriage rates during heat waves to the alarming increase in gender-based violence after disasters, the stakes are high for women and girls. This Friday, YLabs’ Emily Worrall will moderate a panel at the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 in Nairobi, bringing together brilliant minds including Pulkit Aggrwal from Grand Challenges Canada, Millicent Olulo Orera from PharmAccess , and Jay Patel from Jacaranda Health. Together we will discuss practical digital solutions being implemented to address the nexus of health, gender, and sexual and reproductive health. If you’re at GDHF, don’t miss this important conversation happening Friday. #GDHF2024 #ClimateAndHealth #ReproductiveHealth

As we reflect on #WorldAIDSDay, Young MSM are teaching us invaluable lessons about breaking barriers in HIV prevention. Here’s what we’ve learned:   1️⃣ Building trust through peer networks creates safe spaces for testing and care. 2️⃣ Framing testing as a celebration, not a task, reduces stigma. 3️⃣ Meeting young people online with tailored content bridges gaps in access.   👉 Want to dive deeper? Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/dHwP_X_e

Beneath the surface of conversations about sexual and reproductive health and rights lies a quieter story: 👇 When it comes to sexual health, young Americans are caught between a sea of information overload and access deserts. While policymakers debate, teens are piecing together answers to critical sexual health questions from TikTok, Reddit and each other. And as state-by-state differences grow, some youth face up to 11x worse health outcomes than others. That’s why we created Asking for a Friend—because access to trusted health resources shouldn’t depend on where you live, who you are, or whether you have someone to ask. #YouthHealth #HealthEquity #DigitalHealth

🚀 We are hiring! We have two new positions that could be your chance to make a real impact: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: If you’re passionate about leading high-impact research initiatives that drive innovation and strategic growth across sectors like youth entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and education, this role is for you Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dRxs-zhj 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱: We want to hear from you if you’re energized by navigating complex projects and leading design thinking workshops. You will drive end-to-end service design and strategy projects, facilitate human-centred design processes, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that align with our mission. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dQpPwGvy

"Health is the human face of Climate Change." This powerful message echoed through the first Climate and Health African Conference in Harare last week. Our very own Aly Beeman, MPH shared how our work with Children, Cities, and Climate Project is centering voices often left out of urban development decisions — children and youth. We got to showcase how we’re bridging that gap by co-creating solutions alongside youth, city officials, and environmental leaders. The energy and ideas shared at CHAC highlighted the growing commitment and innovation happening in the climate-health space. As emphasized in the Harare Declaration, "Africa, on the frontlines of climate change, should no longer be a passive recipient of global solutions but a proactive architect of its own systems for improved health and well-being—shaped by a prioritization of scientific, local, and traditional knowledge, innovative solutions, and policy leadership."

We're thrilled to share that CyberRwanda received the Prix Galien Africa for Best Digital Technology, presented by His Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the Galien Forum Afrique 2024! Our colleague Zach Witkin, MPH accepted the award and shared three key takeaways: 1️⃣ Youth-led innovation transforms healthcare: Young innovators across Africa are revolutionizing healthcare delivery through AI and digital solutions like CyberRwanda, creating scalable approaches to bridge health access gaps. 2️⃣ Gender-smart climate resilience pays off: With women and girls bearing the heaviest climate burden, the Forum showcased investing in climate-resilient health systems delivers a 4x return on investment across the board.  3️⃣ Integration drives impact: Senegal's success in uniting early warning systems, healthcare delivery, and environmental monitoring proves that cross-sector collaboration is key to building resilient health systems. We’re so proud of our CyberRwanda team and the 1,000+ young Rwandans who made this platform possible! Together, we're building cool and impactful digital solutions. Dr. Jean Kaseya Jean Pierre Karabaranga Forum Galien Afrique / Prix Galien International #GalienForumAfrique #ClimateChange #DigitalHealth #GenderEquality #ClimateResilience

At the World Health Summit this week, the urgency of building climate-resilient health systems is clear — and too often, sexual and reproductive health is left out of the climate-health conversation. Did you know that over 14 million women and girls are at risk of losing access to modern contraception due to extreme climate events in the next 5 years? YLabs’ latest research reveals that zero countries have included rights-based contraceptive access into their climate resilience strategies. Only half of the 58 countries we analyzed even mention sexual and reproductive health in their climate adaptation plans. This gap puts decades of progress on gender equality at risk. That’s why we created the Climate Change x SRHR Evidence and Action Hub — to provide the data and solutions you need to take action. Together, we can build a climate-resilient and gender-equitable future. Learn more at climate-srhr.org 🌱 #ClimateAction #SRHR #WHS2024 #ClimateJustice #GenderEquality #SustainableFuture

We’re proud to join this all-star partnership led by EngenderHealth on USAID’s new global #FamilyPlanning and #ReproductiveHealth flagship program, ACCESS! Watch this space 🌍💪