Few digital initiatives allow young people to meaningfully shape their health futures and co-design digital first health systems that respond to their health priorities. The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on Governing health futures 2030’s report highlights that digital first health systems must be co-designed and governed by young people to be responsive to their health needs and strengthen digital health citizenship. Building on the Commission’s extensive work, young people—including young health professionals—in low and middle-income countries plus vulnerable groups in high income countries will develop a blueprint for youth-centred digital first health systems and a toolkit for advancing digital health citizenship.

The Lab works at the global level with a particular focus on countries with large populations of young people which are predominantly situated in Africa and Asia. Digital and non-digital approaches will also be developed to expand young people’s digital health literacy skills and build their capacity as enfranchised digital health citizens and leaders. Creative and innovative methods such as storytelling, innovation spaces, intergenerational dialogues, workshops and digital platforms will be used to create more inclusive ways of designing policies and testing governance solutions with young people.