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In response to a rapidly ageing world population, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has proposed a Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–30 (hereafter: the Decade) to promote the health of over a billion people aged 60 and older (1). The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed faults in healthcare, equity, and economic safety affecting all humanity. According to the WHO’s baseline report for the Decade, more than 40% of COVID-19-related deaths (up to 80% in some high-income countries) during 2020 are linked to long-term care facilities (2). Moreover, certain pandemic response measures (eg, lockdowns) have exacerbated existing issues experienced by older adults around the world, such as depression, loneliness, and social isolation. COVID-19 has also added to the concerns of many young people about the future of health, healthcare, and social protection in old age, who must ask “in what kind of world do we want to live?” and “how do we want to age?(3)” Healthy ageing is defined by the WHO as “developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age”(1). Recent comments and reports have called for more youth engagement in global health issues, including those which will impact them later in life (eg, health governance)(4). Young people and youth are herein considered to be individuals between 15 and 29 years, which is inclusive of most young adults actively receiving education, entering the workforce, or early in their career. This commentary hereby aspires to reflect the vision of young health researchers and medical students in the discussion of the Decade’s four action areas. We argue that youth …