About Generation-H Project
Generation-H is a project funded by the European Union, Horizon Europe & UKRI, to develop a multi-component intervention to reduce two pivotal modifiable risk factors: unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and their underlying social determinants, among adolescents and youth aged 10-19 years in sub-Saharan Africa, in diverse socio-economic urban settings in Ghana (Greater Accra region) and Kenya (Nairobi). This can support healthy lifestyle and prevent NCDs in adulthood.
The Generation-H intervention strategy is multi-dimensional, encompassing educational programs, community engagement initiatives, policy advocacy, and collaborations with educational, faith-based, and healthcare institutions, spanning January 2024 to December 2028. The project is harnessing the collective expertise of consortium experts, and in strategic partnership with local governments, NGOs, faith- and community-based organizations, to mitigate the rising tide of NCDs within sub-Saharan Africa through intervention strategies mapped on to the WHO Best Buys.
Project Overview
→ NCD epidemic harms individuals, families and communities.
→ Health systems in low-income countries (LMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) struggle with NCDs.
→ Unhealthy diet and lack of exercise raise NCD risks in LMICs.
→ WHO has policies to prevent NCDs, but implementation is lacking.
→ NCD prevention efforts are failing in SSA despite rising NCD rates.
→ WHO policies for NCD prevention have not gotten enough attention for adolescents and youth in LMICs.
→ Adolescence is when habits around diet and physical activity (risk factors for NCDs) are formed for life.
→ Interventions based on high-income countries may not work in LMICs due to cultural, economic, and food environment differences.
→ We lack understanding on how to effectively implement these interventions in real-world LMIC settings.
→ Research is needed on factors affecting program implementation for adolescents and youth in diverse urban settings of SSA with rising NCD rates.
→ Reduce unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and their social determinants among adolescents and youth (10-24 years old) in diverse urban communities across two Sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana & Kenya).
→ Implement evidence-based and theory-driven interventions aligned with WHO Best Buys.
→ Target adolescents and youth in secondary schools, family/community/faith-based settings, and the digital environment (social media) using a multi-sectoral approach.
→ Increase opportunities, awareness, knowledge, health literacy, self-efficacy, and positive health behaviors to prevent NCDs.