Priorities for Adolescent Health

Health in the 10-19 age period is typically predictive of health later in life - it is a time in life when both positive and negative health behaviors are established, and when gendered differences in health burdens begin to emerge more distinctly. This brief highlights over 40 effective and feasible intersectoral actions or health sector interventions that are either designed to specifically target adolescents or broadly address risk factors and health conditions that impact boys and girls. 

 

Key Messages from DCP3 on the Health of Adolescent Boys and Girls

 

  • The first 1,000 days of a child's life are well known to be important for long-term well-being and development, but the next 7,000 days have been comparatively neglected by global health agencies and donors.
 
  • Health in the 10-19 age period is typically highly predictive of health later in life—it is a time in life when both positive and negative health behaviors are established, and when gendered differences in health burdens begin to emerge more distinctly.
 
  • Almost all (97%) deaths among 10-19-year-olds in 2016 occurred in low- and middle-income countries. 61% were boys, 39% girls.
 
  • DCP3 identifies over 40 effective and feasible intersectoral actions or health sector interventions that are either designed to specifically target adolescents or broadly address risk factors and health conditions that impact 10-19-year-olds.
 

Recommendations for Policy Makers

 

Scale-up evidence-based policy approaches that reduce adolescents’ exposure to the most significant risks to their health. These include taxes and bans on alcohol and tobacco products and requirements for transportation safety in cars, motorcycle, and roads.

Increase availability of and access to adolescent-friendly health services. Across countries and cultures adolescents desire healthcare that emphasizes respect, autonomy, and confidentiality, and for developmental reasons are particularly vulnerable to feelings of embarrassment and judgement. Guidance from the WHO and others provides insight into “adolescent friendly” provision of health services that attempt to overcome these challenges.        

Recognize the central role of education and schools in supporting adolescent health. High quality education can reduce undesired health outcomes such as early pregnancy and is essential to the healthy development of adolescents. Schools can also serve as locations for delivery of targeted health services and programs to encourage the early establishment of healthy behaviors and lifestyle choices. Investing in health and education separately leads to missed opportunities for synergies in supporting human capital development.

 

 

SOURCE MATERIAL AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • Bundy, D.A.P., N. de Silva, S. Horton, D.T. Jamison, and G.C. Patton, editors. 2017. Child and Adolescent Health and Development.  Disease Control Priorities (third edition), Volume 8. Washington, DC: World Bank. 
     
  • “Adolescent Mental Health.” Geneva: World Health Organization, Sept. 2018. http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
     
  • “Adolescent Pregnancy.” Geneva: World Health Organization, Feb. 2018. http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
     
  • Bundy, D.A.P., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Patton, G., Schultz, L. Child and Adolescent Health and Development: Realizing Neglected Potential. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Bundy, D., Schultz, L., Sarr, B., Banham, L., Colenso, P. The School as a Platform for Addressing Health in Middle Childhood and Adolescence. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D.T., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Department of Gender and Women’s Health. “Gender, Health and Tobacco”. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003. Tobacco Free Initiative. http://www.who.int/gender/documents/Gender_Tobacco_2.pdf?ua=1
     
  • Galloway, R., Global Nutrition Outcomes at Ages 5 to 19. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D.T., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Hill, K., Zimmerman, L., Jamison, D.T. Mortality at Ages 5 to 19: Levels and Trends, 1990 to 2010. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D.T., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Horton, S., la, E., Mahon, J., Santelli, J., Waldfogel, J. Identifying an Essential Package for Adolescent Health: Economic Analysis. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Burden of Disease. Seattle: 2018. Data Visualizations: GBD Compare.
     
  • Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Burden of Disease. Seattle: 2018. GBD Results Tool.
     
  • Patton, G., Azzopardi, P., Kennedy, E., Coffey, C., Mokdad, A. Global Measures of Health Risks and Disease Burden Adolescents. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D.T., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • Patton, G., Sawyer, S.M., Sentelli, J.S., Ross, D.A., Afifi, R., Allen, N.B., et al. “Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing.” The Lancet 387; 10036: 2423-2478. 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00579-1.
     
  • “Poverty” In: The World’s Women 2015. New York: United Nations, 2015. United Nations Statistics Division. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/downloads/Ch8_Poverty_info.pdf
     
  • Reavley, N., Patton, G., Sawyer, S., Kennedy, E., Azzopardi, P. Health and Disease in Adolescence. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., Jamison, D.T., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.
     
  • “Tobacco.” Geneva: World Health Organization, Apr. 2018. http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco
     
  • WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2000-2025, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.
     
  • WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2013: Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.
     
  • World Health Organization. Global Health Estimates. Geneva; 2016. Causes of Death 2000-2016.
     
  • World Health Organization. Global Health Estimates. Geneva; 2016. DALYs 2000-2016.
     
  • Wu, K., Global Variation in Education Outcomes at Ages 5 to 19. In: Bundy, D., de Silva, N., Horton, S., jamison, D., Patton, G. (eds.), Disease Control Priorities (third edition): Volume 8, Child and Adolescent Health and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank. 2017.