Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

16 October 2025

3-minute read

Dr Shakira Choonara, a multi-award-winning independent public health practitioner, researcher and activist, has had an illustrious decade-long career marked by significant contributions to academia, civil society, and regional bodies such as the African Union and multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNAIDS and UN Women. Recognized for her trailblazing work advancing healthcare across Africa and investing in adolescent health and wellbeing, she holds several notable accolades and is listed among the 100 Most Influential Young Africans.

Adolescence is a time of change, challenge, and incredible potential. Yet for many young people in our communities, it’s also a period marked by inequality, poor access to health services, and limited opportunities for growth. Growing up in Roodepoort on the West Rand, Dr Shakira’s interest in public healthcare was sparked when accompanying her father, who suffered from multiple chronic conditions to the public health care system. Noting the “injustices and inequalities” within the system, as well as the lack of access to education, young Shakira knew that she wanted to pursue a career in public healthcare and approach and resolve the issues within the system.

Working across the continent of Africa, Dr Shakira has been exposed to young women subjected to childhood marriages, gender-based violence, and malaria prevention. She has also been privileged to work at policy level with the World Health Organization, UNAIDS and UN Women, to address “the systemic issues in the health care system”.

Navigating the workplace, Dr Shakira also noted the discrimination and ageism people face, barriers that shaped her and led her to use those experiences to empower and advocate for young people in Africa.

Because of shifts in society, mental health is more of a challenge nowadays than it was in previous decades. We lived in a safer world, in environments that didn’t have “strong commercial determinants of health,” where industry pushes tobacco use or promotes the consumption of unhealthy foods. Factors like the digital revolution alongside shifts in schooling and healthcare, and societal factors have brought about a shift that affects the mental health of the youth, a ‘silent crisis’ that we are facing.

While this is a “highly complex issue,” Dr Shakira states that there are indicators of what needs to be done to fix this problem. Integration of mental health within schools and health care environments is essential to address the discrimination and stigma that adolescents face at home and in peer groups, as is access to health services. With an increase in urbanization, it is important to create supportive environments for the youth based on models like those of the Scandinavian countries. Green spaces that encompass the natural environment, orange spaces that allow for creativity, and blue spaces that include water, as well as recreational spaces for physical activities and safe spaces for supportive social interaction will contribute to better mental health among adolescents. Youth leadership and activism programmes could also go a long way in “solving society’s problems,” she advocates.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr. Choonara here.