Pro-youth policies in the health sector is important to unleash the power of African youth. The case study reviewed a selected sample of policies and laws and analysed the implementation of pro-youth international and regional instruments and national policies in Tanzania with a focus on youth sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Key findings: At the international and regional levels, the government of Tanzania is committed to promoting the potential and health of youth and has developed youth friendly SRHR policies. However, at the national level theres contradictory laws and inappropriate budget allocation that affect the health and development of youth. Main lessons: Concentrated efforts in legislation, policy formulation, research and funding can point the way forward to improved and more equitable youth access to SRHR. Despite the existence of laws and policies, effective implementation can only be managed through political commitment, adequate resource allocation, capacity building and the creation of systems of accountability. Also, multi-stakeholders collaboration is important to promote effective provisions of health services to youth. Main recommendations: Harmonizing national laws and policies with international and regional commitments to avoid contradictions cannot be overemphasized. To that end, the study recommends that appropriate legal reform is undertaken and adequate budget is allocated to general health issues but also to specific aspects related to youth health. Beyond policy formulation, it is also important to address the capacity issues to ensure that the required knowledge and skills are available to implement the policies. Mainstreaming youth health issues in appropriate training curriculum as done by Tanzania is a good example.