AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship to attend the One Young World Summit 2026

AstraZeneca is looking for passionate, driven young leaders to join their 2026 Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship supports young advocates to create actionable change to: 

1. Advance health equity – with a focus on acting early to prevent non-communicable diseases among young people, or supporting young people living with rare diseases.

2. Take action on climate and nature – advocating for the mitigation of the harmful effects of climate change on the health and well-being of young people.

3. Build health systems resilience – contributing to stronger health systems that prioritise earlier intervention to meet today’s needs and mitigate tomorrow’s disease burden.

Who are we looking for?

AstraZeneca is looking for young leaders from all corners of the world who are committed to advocacy for health equity in at least one of the following focus areas:

• Non-communicable diseases (NCD) prevention: Working to prevent NCDs among young people by promoting policies that enable healthy lifestyles, with a specific focus on ensuring that efforts are inclusive and accessible to all. Relevant NCD risk factor areas include nutrition, tobacco & alcohol control, physical activity and air quality improvement.
• Rare disease: Advocating for equitable access to care and enabling policy changes for people living with rare diseases.

About the Fellowship

The selected Fellows will gain access to networks, funding and development opportunities, enabling them to drive a global health movement led by and for young people:

• Access to Networks: A fully-funded scholarship to attend the 2026 One Young World Summit in Cape Town, South Africa (3–6 November 2026) as well as access to the One Young World Ambassador Network and the Young Health Programme (YHP) Alumni group of other young changemakers working to improve youth health.
• Access to Development: Structured learning and development offerings to enable them to scale their impact, including both self-directed and live learning. This includes access to the One Young World Academy, an award-winning mini-MBA programme, mentorship from AstraZeneca colleagues and professional training.
• Access to Funding: Each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either USD $10,000 or USD $50,000 (if selected as the Lead2030 winner* for Sustainable Development Goal 3, for which applicants will be automatically considered) from AstraZeneca, through their non-profit organisation. Fellows are expected to use the grant to implement a project focused on either (1) advancing health equity (2) taking action on climate and nature (3) building health systems resilience.

*Please note: AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme also supports a One Young World Lead2030 Challenge. Eligible individuals applying for the YHP Impact Fellowship will be automatically considered. 

Background

AstraZeneca recognises that prioritising prevention is essential if we are to meet the increasing demand for healthcare services and improve equitable outcomes. We need a fundamental shift from ‘sick care’ to health care, gearing our health systems to act earlier to prevent, and enable access to health education, literacy, and health empowerment.

AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) aims to empower young people to make more informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement. Their YHP is now active in over 40 countries worldwide, combining community programmes, research, advocacy and supporting the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities. The YHP aims to prevent the most common NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease.

Since 2016, AstraZeneca, through its YHP, has partnered with One Young World to identify and empower young leaders who are advocating for a positive impact on youth health in their communities. Learn more about the Young Health Programme here.

YHP activities support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4 - to reduce premature deaths linked to NCDs by one third by 2030.

What is One Young World?

One Young World was founded in 2009 by David Jones and Kate Robertson. We are a UK-based charity that gathers together the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections to create positive change. 

We stage an annual Summit where the most valuable young talent from global and national companies, NGOs, universities and other forward-thinking organisations are joined by world leaders, acting as the One Young World Counsellors.

Delegates participate in four transformative days of speeches, panels, networking and workshops. All delegates have the opportunity to apply to give keynote speeches, sharing a platform with world leaders with the world’s media in attendance. As well as listening to keynote speakers, delegates have the opportunity to challenge world leaders, interact and be mentored by influencers. Delegates make lasting connections throughout the Summit, celebrating their participation at social events and the unforgettable Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

After each Summit, the delegates, who are then known as One Young World Ambassadors, work on their own initiatives or lend the power of the One Young World network to those initiatives already in existence. Of those in employment, many returns to their companies and set about creating change from within, energising their corporate environment.