Why a new report?
Scope and purpose of this report. This report, Health for the World’s Adolescents, has been created primarily for people working in the health sector, especially the senior and mid-level staffs of ministries of health, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the range of health sector partners responsible for developing, implementing and supporting policies and programmes that contribute to adolescent health.
A wide range of World Health Organization (WHO) staff members have contributed to this report, from across the organization. It has also received input from many experts in the field of adolescent health and from two web-based community consultations, one with primary care providers and the other with adolescents. Winners of the Health for the World’s Adolescents photographic competition took the photos that appear in this report.
WHO consults Adolescents and healthHealth for the World’s Adolescents provides an overview of the progress made between the World Health Assembly Resolution on the Health of Youth in 198980 and the 2011 World Health Assembly Resolution on Youth and Health Risks.81 It includes current WHO recommendations on policies and programmes that respond to priority health problems during adolescence. It reflects the achievements in developing the evidence base for action and touches on new interventions,82 new research83 and new delivery mechanisms.84
Tom SimonWhat adolescents need. The core policy and programme elements that were outlined by the 1996 WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF Study Group on Programming for Adolescent Health and Development85 have stood the test of time and align well with governments’ human rights obligations. Over the past two decades, the framework developed by the Study Group has underpinned many of the global goals that have been set86 and has provided focus and structure for policies and programmes directed to adolescents and youth through governments, NGOs and the United Nations.
Study Group elements and the role of different sectorsWhile the specifics will vary depending on the epidemiological priorities and resource constraints of countries, the Study Group framework emphasizes that, overall, adolescents need:
- Access to information, from a variety of sources, that is accurate, relevant, consistent and interactive and that helps them demand better health as a basic human right.
- Opportunities to develop life skills87 that will help them avoid risk behaviours and improve and maintain their physical and mental health.88 They also need to develop other skills, for example, livelihood skills and financial literacy skills,89 and to have access to education, leisure activities and, when appropriate, work.
- Health services, including counselling and commodities, which are acceptable, equitable, affordable, appropriate, effective, available through a range of channels and delivered in ways that reach marginalized and vulnerable adolescents as well as the general population of young people.
- Safe and supportive environments in which to live, learn and develop. Much needs to be done, ranging from community-level actions, such as providing spaces where adolescents can meet in safety,90 to policies and structural interventions that tackle the social determinants of disease and disability. Policies and programmes also need to protect adolescents from harmful physical environments, from exploitation and abuse, from advertising and other promotion of potentially harmful products and from social values and norms that stigmatize or endanger their health.91 92
- Participation in programming. Adolescents need to be involved, to contribute, to be actors and partners with adults in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of interventions to improve and maintain their health and development.93-96 There is some evidence that this participation not only makes sense but may also improve the impact of programmes.97-99 Adolescents need to be seen as positive resources and assets in their communities, not as troublesome risk-takers.
This report will provide support for the 2011 World Health Assembly Resolution on Youth and health risks100 and to a number of developing agendas, including ICPD Beyond 2014 and the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals. It will help make a compelling case for allocating more resources to health in the second decade and clarify evidence-informed priorities for action. Furthermore, it shows that what needs to be done can be done and that the time for concerted action to improve health for the world’s adolescents is NOW.
Health is important to me because being in a state of complete health means being able to function at my full potential, and hence being able to perform at my best and contribute as much as I can to the activities I am involved in.
female, 15-17 Switzerland
Adolescents on what can be done to improve services: Improve and make it easier for young people to access services and information so that we may be more aware and up-to-date on what is good for our health.
female, 15-17, Paraguay
Health is extremely important because it has an enormous effect on our capacity to concentrate and work well. Being careless about it could be detrimental to our future.
female, 18-19, France
Without it (health), we cannot reach the potential of our lives that we could reach if we are healthy. Both in a state of mind and physical. Every person should be equal in that respect.
male, 15-17, United Kingdom
Health is the basis for everything; if you want to study or work, you need to be in good physical and mental health.
female, 15-17, South Africa
