Global Learning Forum Showcases Progress and Policy Shifts in Adolescent-Centered Cities

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Global Learning Forum Showcases Progress and Policy Shifts in Adolescent-Centered Cities

Healthy City for Adolescents (HCA), a global initiative aimed at placing adolescents at the center of decision making concluded its Global Learning Forum 2026 at the weekend, with patrons highlighting measurable local gains alongside the challenges of sustaining adolescents participation in city governance.

The Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) program, launched in May 2022, brings together governments, civil society groups and young people to improve adolescent health and well-being in intermediary cities rather than national capitals. Speaking at the forum, program director Kathryn Scurfield said the initiative operates on a four-and-a-half-year timeline and currently spans 17 cities across six countries - Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Senegal, India and Vietnam.

The HCA portfolio includes 10 active projects supported through multi-sector consortium grants ranging from approximately £300,000 to £800,000. Ms. Scurfield outlined four core program objectives: improving adolescent health and well-being, catalysing systemic change in urban governance, driving digital transformation and generating rigorous evidence to influence policy at local, national and global levels.

A defining feature of the initiative, she noted, is its emphasis on early needs assessments and co-design. Projects are funded to develop interventions in partnership with adolescents, communities and government stakeholders, rather than implementing predetermined solutions.

Kathryn Scurfield reported significant participation and service delivery outcomes. More than 24,000 adolescents have taken part in activities such as sexual and reproductive health education, mental-health support initiatives, park revitalization projects, cultural festivals, hackathons and digital literacy training, she said. Over 3,000 young people reported improvements in leadership and communication skills.

The program has also supported the creation or strengthening of 39 youth platforms. These include 20 children’s councils in Vietnam, expanded adolescent governance councils in India and an adolescent parliament in Sunyani, Ghana. In addition, 36 new or improved adolescent-focused services and spaces have been established, ranging from mobile health units to safer public areas.

According to Kathryn Scurfield, youth engagement under HCA has translated into concrete policy outcomes, with 434 city-level policy, planning or budget changes linked to project activities. Examples cited at the forum included governance committees in Senegal allocating five percent of local budgets to adolescent health issues and the installation of new internet access to expand digital skills development for young people.

The forum, described by organizers as the program’s second and final major global convening before the current funding window closes later this year, brought together mayors, civil society partners, funders and adolescents to share lessons and chart next steps. Kathryn Scurfield said the gathering was intended both to celebrate achievements and to confront persistent challenges, including the lengthy timelines required for systemic urban change and the difficulty of sustaining adolescent participation beyond individual project cycles.

With six to eight months remaining under the current program timeline, organizers said their priorities include consolidating learning, strengthening local-to-global advocacy using project evidence, and securing durable mechanisms for adolescent participation in city decision-making. Observers at the forum noted that HCA’s focus on co-design and intermediary cities positions the initiative as a test case for integrating youth voices more effectively into urban governance and public health planning.