Pressures pile up for the young in Africa

The mental health strains on young Africans caused by the coronavirus pandemic have come under renewed attention after the continent marked Africa Youth Day on Sunday.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union, said in a statement that young people have been airing their concerns over the mental health burden felt by many as the pandemic drags on.

"Many of our youth are front line workers using innovations and creativity to help track and trace the virus while informing populations with compelling and accurate information on how to stay healthy," Mahamat said.

"However, the youth have raised their voices against the unseen impact on mental health that the pandemic is wreaking."

He said this year's Africa Youth Day－on the theme "Youth Voices, Actions, Engagement: Building a Better Africa"－was a reminder for the continent to ensure that the pandemic does not reverse the hard-won developmental gains of the past three decades. These achievements include a commitment to improving lives, providing access to education and ensuring the full implementation of the African Union's African Youth Charter.

Mahamat's comments came days after a study by Makerere University in Uganda revealed that the pandemic has increased the mental health challenges faced by young males in the country's capital Kampala.

The study, titled "Formative Assessment of Adolescent Boys and Young Men's Health Status in Kampala", was conducted on 2,500 boys and men aged from 10 to 24. Released on Friday, the study found that the most affected are those aged 20 to 24, reflecting their increased responsibilities.

Many in this age group have resorted to alcohol and drug abuse.

Mental effect

Steven Kabwama, a lead researcher in the study, said:"15.5 percent of those who are out of school resorted to drinking alcohol because of the mental effect the coronavirus lockdown had on them, while 3.2 percent of those going to school felt they were hopeless."

He said that at least 62 percent of those polled found it difficult to afford a diverse diet, 30 percent got lower incomes and 70 percent reported feeling more anxious than before.

"There is need to design youth-friendly services to address the mental and sexual health needs of the adolescent boys and young men in our cities through school and community outreaches where information, testing and referral for treatment are done," Kabwama said.

While leading the celebrations for Africa Youth Day in Egypt, Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy called for a continentwide approach to engage young people in activities in order to keep them productive.

Sobhy said dozens of youth activity programs have been carried out in Egypt in cooperation with the African Union.

The minister said such activities can help support an African Union initiative to train 1 million young men and women by 2021 under a program known as the "One Million By 2021 Initiative".

Africa has been celebrating Africa Youth Day since 2006 after the African Youth Charter was adopted at the Banjul Summit in 2006.

Its promoters say the day remains important as a reminder for decision-makers of the rights of young people and how they can contribute to economic growth and sustainable development throughout Africa.