SERAC-Bangladesh selected to join WHO SEARO Youth Council

SERAC-Bangladesh has been chosen to join the first-ever Youth Council of the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) for the 2025–26 term. The new platform is designed to bring youth perspectives directly into regional health priorities and country-level action.

Executive Director S M Shaikat will represent SERAC-Bangladesh on the Council. He said, "This is a timely opportunity to elevate youth-driven evidence, integrate health rights within primary health care, and strengthen accountability so no one is left behind. We look forward to collaborating with peers across the region to translate community insights into practical policy solutions," said a press release.

The WHO SEARO Youth Council aims to formalise meaningful youth engagement in health decision-making, creating a structured channel to inform strategies and programmes across the Region. SERAC-Bangladesh will contribute its movement-rooted experience in UHC advocacy, SRHR, and social accountability, linking local youth voices to regional platforms and implementation pathways. 

The Council brings together diverse young leaders from across South-East Asia to shape health policies, amplify youth voices, and support WHO's efforts to strengthen youth contributions to health systems through advocacy and innovation. It forms part of WHO's broader initiative to embed youth participation in health governance.

For more than three decades, SERAC-Bangladesh has worked as a youth-focused, rights-based organisation advancing health, gender equality, civic participation, and peacebuilding nationwide—reaching thousands of young people and marginalised communities through programmes in SRHR, GBV prevention, democratic engagement, and climate resilience.