Step Up! provides grants of up to US$10,000 to help small, innovative, youth-focused non-profits develop and deliver effective health promotion programmes – with an emphasis on under-resourced and marginalised communities in low- and middle-income countries.

Does your organisation have an innovative and creative approach to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in your community? 

This year, the YHP Step Up! Grants Programme is searching for projects that:

• Strengthen health systems;
• Improve equitable access;
• Develop the next generation of health leaders;
• and prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among young people.

To further our commitment to gender equity, in 2022 we will award 50% of grants to projects which are women-led (either one person, or a group of people with the majority being female/identifying as female), with a preference for young women leaders (18-35 years old).

Why non-communicable diseases? 

AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) aims to prevent the most common NCDs, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, and mental ill health. It is doing this by addressing the primary risk factors – tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and exposure to air pollution - that contribute to NCDs. NCDs are the number one cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organisation, and 70% of premature deaths among adults can be linked to behaviour initiated during adolescence. The YHP is aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 3.4: reducing premature deaths linked to NCDs by one third by 2030 and reflects our commitment to communities. 

The project must also clearly demonstrate how it: 

• Will improve the knowledge and capacity of future healthcare leaders (under 35 years old) on NCD prevention education. For example, in working with medical students, community health workers, caregivers or young people following a healthcare career pathway.
• aims to prevent NCDs among young people
• empowers young healthcare leaders to address the primary risk factors – tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and exposure to air pollution - that contribute to NCDs
• is diverse and inclusive
• is sustainable (can be scaled up or implemented in other communities/settings)
• is working to improve equitable access
• strengthens health systems at the local or national level, with a preference for organisations with existing partnerships at the local level (with government, schools, community organisations, companies) to facilitate economic opportunities (such as employment and education prospects) for the young healthcare leaders.

Applicants selected to receive Step Up! Grants will be offered the opportunity to join AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) Alumni Group once they have successfully completed CAF verification. The YHP Alumni Group offers learning and development opportunities and networking between Step Up! Grantees as well as young leaders who have received YHP Scholarships.

In the past, Alumni Members have been offered mini-MBA programmes, opportunities to share their work with global audiences, and masterclasses on fundraising and digital skills to build effective health-promotion programmes.

The YHP is a philanthropic programme focused on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion. It is not related to any AstraZeneca medicines and should not be mentioned in association with any therapy area access programmes or services.

The 2022 Step Up! Grants Programme is currently open. Click here to learn more and apply. The application period will close on 9 June 2022.