AFS Intercultural Programs is proud to announce the selection of outstanding young leaders for the 2026 AstraZeneca Young Health Programme (YHP) Scholarships for the AFS Youth Assembly.
Support for Emerging Changemakers
Through these scholarships, AstraZeneca supports emerging changemakers who are actively working in, studying, or researching the critical intersections of Health Equity, Health Systems Resilience, and Climate and Nature Action. This is the third consecutive year that AstraZeneca is partnering with the AFS Youth Assembly, building on our shared goals to expand access to learning and leadership development opportunities for youth worldwide.
More than 2,400 applicants from across 140+ countries applied for these highly competitive scholarships, demonstrating a strong interest in health and climate related topics, along with a desire for international networking and community building among youth. The selected scholarship winners work in a variety of ways on intersectional problem-solving. They are identifying global issues and actively building AI models, rewriting tax codes, conducting grassroots health campaigns, and altering international policy to solve them.
Meet the Winners
- Pavina Vongsakda, Laos – Dynamic youth leader and AI Master Trainer bridging the gap between technology and sustainability.
- Zixuan Ni, China – Global health advocate leading research to address hidden toxic chemical exposures and respiratory Non-Communicable Disease risks among immigrant women.
- Oluwadara Asaolu, Nigeria – Public health professional and veterinarian advancing health equity through community-based interventions.
- Luiz Eduardo Batista dos Santos, Brazil – Federal Attorney focusing on restructuring tax systems to fund climate resilience.
- Aritro Chatterjee, United Arab Emirates – Student developing hybrid deep-learning and mathematical models to predict desertification and inform global land-use policy.
- Fátima Alonso Hernández, Mexico – Biologist and science communicator reconnecting urban youth with biodiversity as a strategic tool for public health.
- Leah Sarah Peer, Canada – Medical trainee and founder working toward health equity, diversity, and racial justice in medicine.
- Tao Ma, China – Rare disease advocacy leader and Secretary-General of China’s first patient-led rare disease foundation.
- Kodjo Arsene Attikpo, Togo – Data Scientist leveraging geospatial analysis and machine learning to tackle systemic health challenges.
- Omar Adeeb Abdelhaleem Aly Mohamed Abdelrahim, Egypt – Multi-disciplinary leader working at the intersection of global health, climate action, and international diplomacy.
- Margianta Surahman Juhanda, Indonesia – Health and social advocate bridging grassroots communities and policymakers to foster meaningful partnerships.
- Eugenia Elorm Sokpe, Ghana – Biotechnology student and founder delivering NCD prevention and health literacy workshops to young people.
- Caroline Mburu, Kenya – Public health advocate and National Coordinator mobilizing young people to advocate for better health systems.
A Global Platform for Youth
The selected delegates will travel to Geneva, Switzerland in August 2026, to join the 31st Session of the AFS Youth Assembly. The AFS Youth Assembly is a global platform that brings together delegates from over 100 countries under this year’s theme: “Rise. Reimagine. Rebuild: A World for All.” The 2026 AFS Youth Assembly is organized in partnership with the UN Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR), and Delegates will to advance youth leadership in areas of:
- Reclaiming Development as a Human Right for All
- Policy, Justice and Adaptation: Real-World Solutions for Climate Resilience
- Rethinking Education: Youth Innovation for Future-Ready Skills
- Bridging Divides: The Power of Connection in a Polarized World
AFS Intercultural Programs, the organizers of the AFS Youth Assembly, is proud of our partnership with AstraZeneca on the Young Health Programme, now in its 3rd year. Through past and present scholarship providers, partners like AstraZeneca, The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation, DHL, Schwarzman Scholars, bp and more, AFS works to make the Youth Assembly as accessible, inclusive and equitable as possible. Find out more about possibilities to partner with the AFS Youth Assembly.
Congratulations to the scholarship winners!