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The Institute for Health and Environment has become the host institution of the first collaborating centre in the global WHO network dedicated to youth engagement in health governance. The Centre will operate in partnership with the International Youth Health Organization (YHO) and No Excuse Slovenia (BIS).
Ljubljana, 22 September 2026 – The Institute for Health and Environment (IZO) officially opened the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Youth Engagement in Health Governance today at Impact Hub Ljubljana. It is the first WHO Collaborating Centre in the global network dedicated specifically to this field, strengthening Slovenia’s role in developing approaches for more systematic and meaningful youth participation in health policy-making.
The Centre responds to World Health Assembly Resolution WHA77.2 on social participation for universal health coverage, health and well-being, adopted in 2024. The resolution calls for regular and meaningful public participation in health-related decision-making and explicitly recognizes young people as a group that should be involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of health policies and programmes.
The Collaborating Centre will focus its work on three key areas:
The Institute for Health and Environment is the host institution of the Collaborating Centre and will lead its work in partnership with the International Youth Health Organization (YHO) and No Excuse Slovenia (BIS). Both organizations bring extensive experience in health literacy, the prevention of noncommunicable diseases and youth empowerment – from local communities to European and global platforms.
“The Collaborating Centre is not simply recognition of the work we have done so far; above all, it is a commitment for the future. Our task is to move youth participation from occasional consultation towards structured, informed and sustained involvement in decisions that affect health. When young people take part in decision-making, we strengthen health literacy, prevention, health promotion and trust in health institutions. We cannot achieve this alone, which is why the Centre is built on partnership with YHO and BIS, organizations that reach young people in places institutions often cannot.”
“Young people do not simply need a seat at the table. They also need preparation, information and the assurance that their contribution will be taken seriously. For more than a decade, YHO has been building exactly that – the knowledge and confidence young people need to help shape health policies. The Collaborating Centre places this work within a framework that is also recognized by WHO.”
“Health literacy is an important prerequisite for meaningful participation across generations, among professionals and among decision-makers. A young person who understands what shapes their lifestyle, how health decisions are made and who influences them becomes an active partner rather than simply the target of interventions. This allows policies and measures to better reflect the needs young people identify in their own environments. At No Excuse Slovenia, we build this through peer-to-peer approaches, strengthening knowledge and youth participation processes, and working directly in communities – and these are the experiences we bring to the new Centre.”
The establishment of the Centre was welcomed at the opening by Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Director of the Department for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, who addressed participants via video message.
“We often say that young people should have a voice in decisions that affect their health and their future. But youth engagement must go beyond simply inviting them into the room. We need to create the conditions that allow them to participate effectively and meaningfully. Our role is not to decide what young people need and then ask whether we were right. Our role is to create the space and the right opportunities for them to help shape the questions, solutions and policies that affect their health.”
Youth engagement is one of the priorities of WHO’s Second European Programme of Work 2026–2030 (EPW2), which places particular emphasis on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, addressing the commercial determinants of health, reducing health inequalities and maintaining trust in health institutions.
The event was opened by Dr Tomaž Gorenc, Director of the Institute for Health and Environment, followed by a welcome video address from Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe and a presentation of the purpose and work plan of the Collaborating Centre.
The central part of the event was a moderated discussion led by Dr Vesna Kerstin Petrič, Head of the Office for Cooperation with WHO at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. The discussion featured Gabriele Pastorino, Health Systems Adviser at the Department of Health Services Performance, Financing and Delivery at WHO Headquarters, alongside youth representatives Rada Dimitrova and Mikołaj Patalong, members of the youth advisory groups of EVID-ACTION and the Joint Action PreventNCD.
The discussion focused on what meaningful youth participation looks like in practice, what institutions need to change in order to make it possible, what kind of support young people need, and which priorities the Centre should address during its first year of operation.
The work of the Collaborating Centre has also received support from Dr Jožica Maučec Zakotnik, who allocated the funds from her United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize to the Centre’s youth engagement and development programmes. She received the award in May 2025 during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO presents the award to individuals, institutions or non-governmental organizations for outstanding contributions to primary health care.
Throughout her career, Dr Maučec Zakotnik has made significant contributions to the development of preventive programmes in primary health care and to advancing health promotion and early disease detection in Slovenia. She has placed particular emphasis on equal access to preventive services and on connecting the healthcare system with local communities, civil society and other settings that can help reach vulnerable population groups.
Her work and the mandate of the new Centre share the same fundamental principle: health policies and programmes are more effective when the people they are designed to serve are also involved in shaping them.
The Institute for Health and Environment (IZO) is a Slovenian non-governmental organization operating in the public interest at the intersection of public health, the environment and sustainable development. Through research, project work and advocacy, it connects scientific knowledge with policy-making and strengthens public participation in decision-making. IZO is the host institution of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Youth Engagement in Health Governance. Learn more on the IZO website.
The International Youth Health Organization (YHO) is a leading international organization empowering young people to participate in prevention programmes, research, policy-making and leadership in the field of youth health. Its work covers the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, mental health and environmental health. Learn more on the YHO website.
No Excuse Slovenia (BIS) is a youth organization that uses peer-to-peer approaches to strengthen young people’s health literacy and works in the fields of prevention and advocacy for health-promoting policies. Learn more on the BIS website.
Contact:
Dr Tomaž Gorenc, Director of the Institute for Health and Environment
E: tomaz.gorenc@izo.si
Mia Zupančič, Head of the Collaborating Centre
E: mia.zupancic@izo.si
Photographic material is available to the media upon request.
The Institute for Health and Environment brings together the fields of health, the environment, sustainable development and active participation.
Slovenska cesta 56, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
