[Panel Discussion] Asia and the Pacific Youth Symposium - Health & Wellness

On August 18, 2021, I moderated the Knowledge Session on Health and Wellness as part of this year’s Asia Pacific Youth Symposium organized by the Asian Development Bank. Building on the first-ever APYS last year, the session was envisioned as part of an intergenerational dialogue for the exchange of knowledge and experience on pressing matters involving the region, in ways that mobilize young people as partners. 

In the event, Shruti Mehta discussed how can we reduce NCD prevalence through MYE in sports investments, as well as through youth-led behavior change on harmful habits, diet and exercise and Trisha Lamban, a 19-year old mental health advocate from the Philippines, talked about engaging her peers both online and offline. Meanwhile, Rui Liu, a health specialist with ADB’s Health Sector, shared lessons learned about youth health during the pandemic and some insights how we should approach this topic amid a so-called ‘new normal’, and Prof. Susan Sawyer provided an overview of the state of young people today - as well as the current and potential opportunities for meaningful youth engagement.