RBM Partnership to End Malaria's participation in the 6th SADC Youth Forum is crucial as it provides a unique platform to engage with a diverse group of young leaders from the Southern African region. This four-day conference in Harare, Zimbabwe, from August 10th to 13th, 2024, will see the attendance of 250 in-person participants and an additional 10,000 online attendees, allowing for extensive reach and impact. Engaging with these young leaders in multiple official SADC languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili, RBM can foster greater awareness and involvement in malaria elimination efforts.

The structured sessions, high-level diplomatic visits, side events, exhibitions, and the collaborative drafting of the Harare Declaration offer multiple opportunities for RBM to showcase its initiatives, build partnerships, and influence regional policies on malaria prevention, ultimately advancing the goal of eliminating malaria in the region.

Maelle BA - SCPC Co- Chair and Youth Work Stream CO-Chair, will speak at the opening remarks. 

The Southern Africa Youth Forum formerly the SADC Youth Forum is the largest annual pan-African youth platform and regional event hosted before the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit aimed at deliberating on critical contemporary and emerging issues affecting young people. The Forum is a solution oriented platform, convened by youth and stakeholders in Civil Society to advance sustainable inclusion, empowerment, and youth participation in line with Development Strategies. The forum is hosted under the Southern Africa Council of NGOs (SAf-CNGO) and coordinated by its youth representative the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF). The Southern Africa Youth Forum is a platform that brings together youth representatives, policymakers, the private sector, academia, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss and address issues pertinent to the youth in the SADC member states. The forum aims to provide a space for young people to voice their concerns, share experiences, and contribute to developing and implementing policies that affect their lives.