Story
23 March 2026
Healthy Youth. Healthy Future: Stories from across the Pacific
This collection of impact stories is part of the Healthy Youth, Healthy Future campaign, a Pacific-wide initiative led by the United Nations to celebrate youth leadership, share practical and culturally rooted approaches to wellbeing, and inspire healthier choices across the region. Through these stories, we demonstrate how young people lead healthy lives and provide examples to their communities. A collective One UN effort The Healthy Youth, Healthy Future campaign brings together UN agencies working across health, nutrition, education, protection, development, and mobility. These stories reflect the collective efforts of the UN system in partnership with governments, civil society, and, most importantly, young people themselves. Explore the series This page will continue to grow as new stories are published throughout the campaign period. Each story offers a unique perspective on what healthy futures look like across the Pacific, and how young people are turning challenges into opportunities for change.
Be part of the movement Healthy Youth, Healthy Future runs from 16 February to 30 March.
We invite you to explore the stories, share them within your networks, and join the wider campaign to build a healthier Pacific rooted in community, culture, and youth leadership. Your health. Your future. Our Pacific. 🌺 Read our collection of Healthy Youth, Healthy Future: One UN system, stories from the Pacific __________________________________________________________________________________________________Junk Food Invasion in Fiji: 'Let’s create a future where no one dies young from preventable diseases linked to diet.'
A story by UNICEF. In the Yasawa Islands, 22-year-old Losalini Batiwale has witnessed a dramatic shift from traditional foods to ultra-processed snacks and sugary drinks. Shocked by junk food advertising in her childhood village, she saw how changing diets are fuelling a national crisis in Fiji, where over 80 per cent of deaths are linked to non-communicable diseases. After a loved one fell ill, she joined the UNICEF-supported Fix My Food campaign to advocate for healthier food environments, clearer labelling, and protection from junk food marketing. Today, she empowers young people to reclaim their health, culture, and the true taste of home. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________From campus to community: A young leader creates awareness on HIV crisis A story by UNFPA. At 23, Asenaca Solinadrotini is turning urgency into action as HIV cases surge across Fiji. With 1,583 new infections recorded in 2024, most among young people, she is helping lead a condom distribution and awareness campaign with the Ministry of Health, UNFPA, and partners. Across campuses, nightclubs and communities, Asenaca promotes open, stigma-free conversations about HIV prevention, testing, and sexual health. Having reached over 1,500 people, she calls on youth to get involved and urges policymakers to include young voices in decision-making. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________Through our lens: I-Kiribati youth tell their story of resilience through photography A story by WHO.
On Marakei Island, young photographers are using storytelling to spotlight climate resilience in Kiribati. During a five-day National Geographic Photo Camp, students like Baririeta Naare documented traditional practices such as weaving te rau from pandanus, fishing, and growing local foods that sustain healthy diets. As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, rising seas threaten livelihoods, culture, and wellbeing. Supported by WHO’s Te Mamauri Project, the camp also highlighted photography as a tool for mental health, reflection, and youth empowerment—showing how cultural preservation, environmental action, and holistic health are deeply connected. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________Setbacks to Comebacks: Spirited U17 Games Pave Way for Young Women Athletes in the FSM A story by UNDP. After finishing as runners-up in the inaugural 17U Games, Chuuk Girls High School returned stronger, claiming a decisive 3–0 championship victory in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Representing the State of Chuuk, the team credited discipline and teamwork for their redemption. Supported by United Nations Development Programme through the Strengthening Gender Machinery Project, the athletes were able to compete and grow. Beyond competition, the 17U Games highlight the vital link between youth empowerment, physical activity, mental wellbeing, and healthier futures for young women across FSM. Read the full story here.
Be part of the movement Healthy Youth, Healthy Future runs from 16 February to 30 March.
We invite you to explore the stories, share them within your networks, and join the wider campaign to build a healthier Pacific rooted in community, culture, and youth leadership. Your health. Your future. Our Pacific. 🌺 Read our collection of Healthy Youth, Healthy Future: One UN system, stories from the Pacific __________________________________________________________________________________________________Junk Food Invasion in Fiji: 'Let’s create a future where no one dies young from preventable diseases linked to diet.'
A story by UNICEF. In the Yasawa Islands, 22-year-old Losalini Batiwale has witnessed a dramatic shift from traditional foods to ultra-processed snacks and sugary drinks. Shocked by junk food advertising in her childhood village, she saw how changing diets are fuelling a national crisis in Fiji, where over 80 per cent of deaths are linked to non-communicable diseases. After a loved one fell ill, she joined the UNICEF-supported Fix My Food campaign to advocate for healthier food environments, clearer labelling, and protection from junk food marketing. Today, she empowers young people to reclaim their health, culture, and the true taste of home. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________From campus to community: A young leader creates awareness on HIV crisis A story by UNFPA. At 23, Asenaca Solinadrotini is turning urgency into action as HIV cases surge across Fiji. With 1,583 new infections recorded in 2024, most among young people, she is helping lead a condom distribution and awareness campaign with the Ministry of Health, UNFPA, and partners. Across campuses, nightclubs and communities, Asenaca promotes open, stigma-free conversations about HIV prevention, testing, and sexual health. Having reached over 1,500 people, she calls on youth to get involved and urges policymakers to include young voices in decision-making. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________Through our lens: I-Kiribati youth tell their story of resilience through photography A story by WHO.
On Marakei Island, young photographers are using storytelling to spotlight climate resilience in Kiribati. During a five-day National Geographic Photo Camp, students like Baririeta Naare documented traditional practices such as weaving te rau from pandanus, fishing, and growing local foods that sustain healthy diets. As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, rising seas threaten livelihoods, culture, and wellbeing. Supported by WHO’s Te Mamauri Project, the camp also highlighted photography as a tool for mental health, reflection, and youth empowerment—showing how cultural preservation, environmental action, and holistic health are deeply connected. Read the full story here. __________________________________________________________________________________________________Setbacks to Comebacks: Spirited U17 Games Pave Way for Young Women Athletes in the FSM A story by UNDP. After finishing as runners-up in the inaugural 17U Games, Chuuk Girls High School returned stronger, claiming a decisive 3–0 championship victory in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Representing the State of Chuuk, the team credited discipline and teamwork for their redemption. Supported by United Nations Development Programme through the Strengthening Gender Machinery Project, the athletes were able to compete and grow. Beyond competition, the 17U Games highlight the vital link between youth empowerment, physical activity, mental wellbeing, and healthier futures for young women across FSM. Read the full story here.
