SERAC-Bangladesh has been selected to the first-ever World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) Youth Council for the 2025–26 term, a new platform 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. “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,” said Shaikat. “We look forward to collaborating with peers across the region to translate community insights into practical policy solutions.”
The WHO SEARO Youth Council formalizes meaningful youth engagement in health decision-making, creating a structured channel to inform strategies and programs across the Region. SERAC-Bangladesh will contribute movement-rooted experience in UHC advocacy, SRHR, and social accountability, connecting local youth voices to regional platforms and implementation pathways. The Council convenes diverse young leaders from across South-East Asia to help shape health policies, amplify youth voices, and support WHO’s efforts to strengthen youth contributions to health systems through advocacy and innovation. It is a part of WHO’s broader effort to embed youth participation in health governance.
For more than three decades, SERAC-Bangladesh has been a youth-focused, rights-based organization advancing health, gender equality, civic participation, and peacebuilding nationwide—reaching thousands of young people and marginalized communities through programs in SRHR, GBV prevention, democratic engagement, and climate resilience.
