Satish Antony, Chief Analytics & Strategy Officer at Medscheme
As South Africa grapples with a complex and evolving healthcare landscape, new data from Medscheme [an AfroCentric Group Company] shines a stark light on the health status of the country’s youth, a group representing the foundation of our future economy. The analysis, focused on the 15–34 age bracket, offers a sobering look at the growing burden of disease, gender disparities in health, and the mental health challenges facing young people today.
This data not only carries clinical implications but also provides vital context for broader socio-economic conversations about the future of productivity, healthcare access, and public-private system sustainability.
“We often think of youth as a healthy and resilient segment, but what we’re seeing is an emerging health burden that begins to accelerate in early adulthood,” says Satish Antony
Chief Analytics & Strategy Officer at Medscheme. “Mental health, chronic disease, and gender-specific pressures are showing up earlier — and we must respond earlier.”
Comprising 24.3% of the Medscheme member base, youth aged 15–34 account for 13.6% of healthcare spend and 12.4% of all service queries, signaling a population whose health demands are growing steadily.
What’s particularly concerning is the sharp rise in chronic illness as young people transition into early adulthood. While only 6.6% of youth (15–24) are registered with a chronic condition, this figure jumps to 11.5% among young adults (25–34), nearly 1.7 times higher.
“We need to start viewing youth healthcare not as a passive concern, but as a critical intervention point for reducing long-term system strain,” Antony adds.
Mental health data reveals a deepening crisis, particularly among young males. Depression affects 2.3% of youth (15–24) and 4.1% of young adults (25–34), meaning 1 in every 25 young adults is clinically depressed. However, the true burden may be even higher. For men, in particular, the data exposes a dangerous gap: although admissions for males are dominated by mental health issues (including depression, bipolar disorder, and substance dependence), they show lower chronic registration rates than females.
“There is a significant underdiagnosis of mental illness in men. This reflects a broader societal stigma that discourages young men from seeking help until a crisis point is reached,” Antony warns. “By then, the costs — both human and financial, are much higher.”
The analysis also reveals that from age 20 onward, females exhibit higher chronic prevalence rates than their male counterparts, a trend largely driven by reproductive health and maternity admissions. While necessary and natural, this phase of life coincides with economic vulnerability, as many women in this age group are either entering the workforce or seeking to establish career stability. Coupled with higher rates of diagnosed depression, this underscores the urgent need for accessible, gender-sensitive healthcare solutions.
“We need benefit designs that reflect the realities of young working women, including access to mental health services, contraceptive care, and maternal health support,” says Antony. “Women are not just patients; they are the economic engine of many households.”
These challenges are further intensified by South Africa’s overburdened public health system. Public hospitals and clinics, already struggling under the weight of communicable and non-communicable diseases, are often unable to provide consistent mental health services or preventative care, especially for young people who “don’t look sick” and are least likely to seek help.
Investing in medical aid at an early career stage, particularly through employer-provided schemes or youth-focused products, can not only reduce long-term personal healthcare costs, but also relieve pressure on the public system.
“We encourage employers and young professionals to think of medical cover not as a luxury, but as a strategic safeguard,” Antony says. “In a system under pressure, being covered means you can access care before it becomes critical.”
With unemployment among youth sitting at over 43.4% (Stats SA, Q1 2025), access to employer-based healthcare remains out of reach for many, but for those entering formal work, the value of immediate healthcare coverage cannot be overstated.
If South Africa is to build a sustainable and inclusive healthcare system, more must be done to tailor interventions to the youth segment both in the private medical scheme environment and the broader National Health Insurance (NHI) framework.
What this data makes clear is that the traditional assumption, that youth are healthy by default — no longer holds. Mental health challenges, chronic diseases, and gender-based disparities are growing faster than the healthcare system is adapting.
“We cannot afford to treat youth health as a secondary concern. This is where future workforce health, national productivity, and intergenerational wellbeing are shaped,” Antony concludes.