Titled “Raising a Resilient Generation: Strengthening Children’s and Young People’s Resilience to Environmental Influences and Psychoactive Substance Use,” the event brought together nearly 750 participants and viewers from Lithuania and abroad, including representatives of local authorities, public health offices, and professionals from the education, science, and healthcare sectors, as well as youth representatives.
The conference placed a strong focus on the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative for 2026–2030, “A Healthy Start for a Healthy Life.” Adopted as part of WHO’s strategic priorities, the initiative aims to strengthen child and adolescent health across Europe. Its goals closely align with Lithuania’s ongoing efforts to advance national health policy for young people.
According to the organisers, achieving these ambitions requires closer cooperation between researchers and practitioners, as well as continuous knowledge exchange. This sentiment was echoed by Lithuania’s Minister of Health, Marija Jakubauskienė, who emphasised the need for a fundamental shift in how youth health is addressed.
“Today, we must move beyond reacting to consequences and instead prioritise prevention, early intervention, and resilience-building,” the Minister noted. She added that strengthening child and family health remains a key priority for the Ministry and a cornerstone in building a resilient society.
A critical perspective on current approaches was offered by Kremlin Wickramasinghe from the WHO Regional Office for Europe. In his presentation, he questioned whether existing data and evidence-based interventions are being used effectively enough to benefit children and their families.
He also highlighted a persistent challenge: economic and commercial interests often outweigh public health priorities. As a result, the new WHO strategy places increased emphasis on understanding how commercial actors influence health outcomes, shape narratives, and steer decision-making processes.
The strategy’s priorities are relevant across all 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Marking the 35th anniversary of Nordic-Baltic cooperation, the conference also featured speakers from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Denmark, who shared national experiences and best practices.
Across discussions, one message stood out clearly: strengthening resilience to environmental and commercial influences among children and young people is now central to effective prevention. In Lithuania, municipal public health professionals are already playing a key role in implementing these efforts at the local level.
Summarising the conference, Rita Sketerskienė, Director of the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department and Partnership Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, stressed the importance of scaling up what already works.
“We have strong examples of effective practices in place. However, we must go further—ensuring that evidence-based interventions are expanded and that preventive measures reach every child and young person in Lithuania,” she said.
Ole Andreas Lindeman, director of the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, underscored the importance of keeping young people at the centre of prevention efforts.
“Prevention is only effective if it is grounded in what young people are actually experiencing. They are the ones navigating these challenges in their everyday lives, and therefore have the clearest insight into why these behaviours begin. That understanding should shape how we work in schools, communities, and prevention initiatives. Listening to youth is not separate from prevention—it is how we address the root of the problem,” he emphasised.
The event attracted significant interest, further demonstrating the growing recognition of youth health and resilience as critical policy areas. A recording of the conference is available online for those who were unable to attend.
Conference organisers: Department of Public Health at the Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University; WHO Country Office in Lithuania; Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department; Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania; and the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency.
