Development, rights and programme efficiencies converge
Collaboration among sectors is essential to carry out the policies and programmes that address the major health issues of adolescents: mental health; injuries; violence; sexual and reproductive health; HIV, physical activity and diet; and tobacco, alcohol and substance use. Working across portfolio boundaries to achieve shared goals and integrate government response to particular issues—the “whole of government” approach32 —is as important for specific health issues (e.g. noncommunicable diseases,33 HIV34 35) as it is for ensuring the health of specific population groups.
Efforts to ensure that adolescents’ rights are addressed are underway in all countries, albeit unevenly. Collaboration is central to a rights-based approach to programming36 for adolescent development. It adds substance to the principle of the indivisibility and interrelated nature of human rights and the important obligations and roles of a range of duty-bearers.
It is clear that people—adolescents included—do not think about their lives in terms of sectors. In everyday life health, education, employment and protection, for example, intertwine. Young people are increasingly aware of their needs and rights, and they are calling for more integrated approaches to meeting their needs. See for example the declaration of the Bali Global Youth Forum. The United Nations is aware of this and increasingly is supporting governments to develop and implement coherent national policies and programmes for adolescents and youth.
UN System Wide Action Plan on YouthBi-lateral assistance agencies, too, are placing youth development on their agendas and are supporting cross-sectoral work at national and community levels.
Youth in Development PolicyNational governments are acknowledging that strategies for adolescent health need to focus on a range of health problems that often have common determinants and are linked together. They are also exploring ways to integrate prevention and care programmes and to benefit from the potential synergies of greater convergence of sectors.
Anuradha GuptaIt takes place in the community. Actual convergence often occurs in the community, where the role of local authorities (commune or city councils, district and provincial offices) is crucial, particularly in countries that are decentralizing authority. Local authorities may also have direct contact with community and other civil society organizations that address the needs of especially vulnerable adolescents.
Intersectoral collaboration summaryWhether at the local or national level, intersectoral collaboration poses challenges—for example, the need to consider and respect the different interests and capacities of various organizations and for new processes/structures to share decision-making—with implications for management, resource allocation and monitoring.37
Research needs. It will be difficult to improve adolescent health without better understanding the synergistic effects of the actions of different actors in the community on adolescent health and development. Programme monitoring and implementation research will need to reach across sectors relevant to adolescents’ health. At the same time, the health sector needs an understanding of what its contributions should be to the work of other sectors.
I don’t talk about my difficulties. I use sports as a way to feel relief from all the bad things that have happened and happen to me, etc.
male, 18-19, Chile
Life is difficult, especially when you’re young and you have to be sitting down all the time. I feel that my body is being destroyed at school because I am forced to stay seated all day.
male, 18-19, Canada
For me, to be in good health means above all to have a family. I think that health is not only a physical thing but also mental because if you are surrounded by family or by people who love you, that can allow you to always be in good health (to smile, to be in a good mood)
female, 18-19, Gabon
I do not find enough time to perform sports and I find handy, unhealthy food in front of me
female, 18-19, Saudi Arabia
I think the way we know about the issues that affect us should be much better done, like at schools and on internet instead of just on hospitals.
female, 18-19, Brazil
School stresses me out, and as a result I have been careless with my health, my diet, etc.
female, 18-19, Peru
Through school, as it is where we spend a lot of time, government initiatives of school wide health awareness should be somewhat compulsory, such as having speakers come to your school, organised by the government to choose from what organisation they come from, or your school, to speak about relevant health issues to students, from an understandable viewpoint. It is more effective than reading a pamphlet.
female, 15-17, Australia
Wide-scale action promoting sport: built-up of the network of bicycle paths and bicycle rents, discounts to sports centres, support from teachers to students who participate in sport competitions, varied and more inclusive physical education classes (overweight or disabled students too frequently find excuses to avoid exercises) 2) Increasing the awareness of importance of physical health and its relation to mental condition - by school education and social campaigns 3) Creating alternatives - youth needs to understand that getting drunk or taking tobacco/other drugs is not a good way to build up one's position among peers.
female, 18-19, Poland
Through school, as it is where we spend a lot of time, government initiatives of school wide health awareness should be somewhat compulsory, such as having speakers come to your school, organised by the government to choose from what organisation they come from, or your school, to speak about relevant health issues to students, from an understandable viewpoint. It is more effective than reading a pamphlet.
female, 15-17, Australia
I think that schools should do more than sport classes to improve their students health. Teaching the students how to cook healthy meals would be one of those things.
female, 18-19, Germany
Ensure sexual education in all schools and give out contraceptives for free, as sexual issues are the biggest health problems faced by adolescents, venereal diseases, unwanted pregnancies, HIV.
Gender not specified, 15-17, Chile
When someone in my family, especially my mother, or a close friend shows their support for me.
female, 15-17, Paraguay
Adolescents on what can be done to improve health services: Improve and create more facilities, such as more primary health care centres in schools, community centres (that work well); encourage sports and extracurricular activities to help adolescents clear their minds.
female, 18-19, Venezuela
