UNICEF: Gen Z ready to lead on youth mental health, and other health stories

A new report from the UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health reveals a striking paradox: Gen Z is highly engaged with global news and issues, motivated by a strong sense of responsibility to shape a better future, yet this constant exposure is taking a significant toll on their mental health.

While describing this generation as “self-driven, collaborative and deeply diverse”, UNICEF warns that “this constant engagement comes at a cost”, with many young people feeling overwhelmed and disempowered.

Key findings:

While Gen Z is already stepping up as resilient, creative and determined to drive change, they cannot be expected to "fix a broken system alone", UNICEF stresses. The organization calls for “shared responsibility, bold leadership and the tools to act, not just talk,” highlighting the urgent need for institutions, communities and the private sector to provide meaningful support.

The audience perception study urges stakeholders to invest in evidence-based solutions that empower young people and promote mental wellbeing.

Global vaccine alliance GAVI is seeking new donors to support childhood immunization in the world’s poorest countries, as major funders like the US, UK and France signal deep cuts to international aid budgets, Reuters reports.

It aims to raise $9 billion at a summit in Brussels later in June to fund its 2026-2030 programmes, as future pledges from traditional donors remain uncertain, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

According to Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar, the alliance is broadening its donor base, with new commitments from countries like Morocco, India and Indonesia, alongside increased support from Portugal.

In 2024, lower-income countries contributed a record $255 million to their own immunization programmes - a 19% increase from 2023 - with co-financing expected to rise to over $300 million in 2025. From 2026 to 2030, low- and middle-income countries are projected to cover nearly half of vaccine programme costs introduced with Gavi support, totalling $4 billion.

Since its launch in 2000, GAVI has helped vaccinate over 1.1 billion children and prevented nearly 19 million deaths worldwide. However, the WHO says recent surges in disease outbreaks highlight the ongoing need: global measles cases doubled in 2024 compared to 2023, and cholera outbreaks in Africa continue to strain health systems.

A man with a severe speech disability can now speak expressively and sing thanks to a brain implant that decodes his neural activity almost instantly. The AI-powered device reproduces not just words, but natural speech features like intonation, pitch and emphasis – a first for brain-computer interfaces. The study, published in Nature, marks a major advance over earlier systems.

The Food Standards Agency has urged UK consumers and businesses to stop buying or selling Jolly Rancher products, warning they contain chemical compounds that could damage DNA and raise cancer risk. The sweets, made by US firm Hershey, contain mineral oil hydrocarbons banned under UK law, the BBC reports.

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has dismissed all 17 members of the committee that advises on vaccines, citing “conflicts of interest” that he says have eroded public trust. The move affects the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

A small study presented at the American Society for Nutrition meeting suggests that eating a cup of chickpeas daily lowers cholesterol, while chickpeas or black beans can reduce inflammation. The researchers, from Illinois Tech, US, say the findings show how small dietary changes may deliver meaningful health benefits.

According to the UN Population Fund, many people are unable to have the families they want due to the high cost of parenthood, job insecurity, expensive housing, worries about the state of the world, and the lack of a suitable partner, among other factors. Lack of choice plays a significant role in the trend towards lower family sizes, it suggests in a new report.

Drinking 1-2 cups of coffee per day could help lower your risk of death from a range of causes, in particular from cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition. Black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality as compared to no coffee consumption.

AI and robotics are revolutionizing healthcare - from doctor training and stroke rehab to robotic surgeries and medication delivery. Discover six key ways these technologies are transforming medicine, alongside insights from the World Economic Forum’s latest white paper on AI-enabled health.

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The JU:MP project in Bradford, UK, helped over 30,000 children in disadvantaged communities increase their weekly activity by 70 minutes and cut weekend inactivity by 21 minutes per day through inclusive play spaces and community partnerships. Learn more here: