How do we reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking behavior among young people?

Thank you @ Nonvicks, this is a fantastic contribution! Your phrase \"forgotten middle\" perfectly captures why adolescents fall through the cracks. You\'ve also highlighted the critical dual challenge: cheap ultra-processed foods flooding urban environments while nutritious options remain inaccessible. I really…

@Rhoda Nakhosi Nakosi Thank you for bringing this crucial topic to the platform! You are so right that adolescents are often the \"forgotten middle\" when it comes to targeted nutrition interventions, despite undergoing such a rapid phase of growth and habit-forming.…

I think meaningful youth participation should go beyond asking young people to fill out surveys or attend meetings. Young people should be involved from the start—helping shape the research questions, methods, and even how findings are shared.Some barriers are tokenistic…

Hello fortunate, this is such an amazing topic to discuss. Translating health research into practical policies and programs for young people across Africa requires bridging the disconnect between academic evidence generation and real-world implementation. To achieve this, researchers must move away…

@Rhoda Nakhosi Nakhosi Harnessing technology to effectively reach young people while keeping them safe requires moving beyond viewing digital platforms as simple broadcast channels and instead treating them as co-created, highly secure spaces. To build authentic engagement, developers and researchers must…

@Rhoda Nakhosi Nakhosi Meaningful youth involvement remains more the exception than the rule in health research. While most institutions agree with \"nothing about us without us\" in principle, young people are often consulted only after research questions, budgets, and methodologies…

Thank you, Dr. Magoba, for this very comprehensive and practical response! I really appreciate how you\'ve broken down the translation process into concrete steps; early stakeholder engagement, accessible communication formats, meaningful youth participation and a closing loop through implementation research.…

Thanks Desmond. I think your point about involving young people, policymakers, and program teams early is absolutely key. Too often, research is done to or on communities rather than with them, and by the time results are out, the window…

Hi Fortunate, this is such a crucial question and honestly, it\'s the million-dollar challenge in global health research! You\'re absolutely right that we generate plenty of evidence in Africa, but the translation into policy and practice often falls short.From what…

Thank you @Henry Magoba, for this incredibly thoughtful and comprehensive response! I really appreciate how you\'ve framed the double burden and the gendered dimensions. Adolescent girls truly do face unique nutritional challenges, especially with menstrual health and increased requirements during…

Hi @Desmond Angira, thanks for kicking off this important discussion! I completely agree that adolescents are too often overlooked in nutrition programming, and the exposure to unhealthy food environments is a massive challenge. Your point about engaging young people in…

Hi Rhoda, this is an important area of adolescent health that deserves much greater attention across Africa. I agree that adolescence is a critical but often overlooked window for nutrition investment.From a public health and epidemiological perspective, I see the…

Hi Fortunate, this is an important question, particularly because Africa generates valuable research evidence, yet the challenge is often translating that evidence into policies and programmes that genuinely respond to young people\'s lived realities.In my experience, effective translation starts with…

One of the biggest challenges is the growing exposure to unhealthy food environments, alongside limited access to affordable and nutritious foods. Adolescents also need more attention in nutrition programmes, as this is an important stage for physical and cognitive development.…