In 2005, CAH and the Department of Population and Family Health of Johns Hopkins University undertook a literature review to capture recent research on parenting of adolescents in developing countries and in particular to examine the evidence for specific parenting roles that programmes could aim to promote and improve. Given the importance of parents in adolescents’ worlds, what are the specific ways that they influence adolescent health? In addition, how can we translate that knowledge into actions? WHO convened a meeting in October with researchers and representatives from some projects currently under way in developing countries. A summary of the discussions in the meeting is available in a document entitled Helping parents in developing countries improve adolescents’ health which highlights the importance of parents in preventing adolescent health risk behaviours, the ways in which parents influence these behaviours, and their implications for programmes aiming to improve adolescent health.To read the document, please visit here

This joint report catalogues the results of a year-long study to map adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes in areas affected by conflict, documents good practices, and provides recommendations to improve access to quality reproductive health care for adolescents in humanitarian settings. Despite growing awareness of the need for adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes in humanitarian settings, the study found significant gaps in programming, including access to family planning. The encouraging news is that the mapping exercise also identified emerging good practices that can guide an expanded and scaled up response.

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UNFPA and UNICEF are working towards accelerated abandonment of female genital mutilation/ cutting within 15 countries by 2013. The focus of this joint funding proposal is to leverage social dynamics towards abandonment within selected communities that practice FGM/C. The main strategic approach is to gain the support of an initial core group, which decides to abandon FGM/C and mobilises a sufficient number of people to facilitate a tipping point and thereby create a rapid social shift of the cutting social convention norm. A core feature of implementation is fostering partnerships with government authorities both at decentralised and national levels, religious authorities and local religious leaders, the media, civil society organizations and the education and reproductive health sectors.

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This is the resolution adapted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly, 2011

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Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) recognizes that poor health cannot be explained simply by germs and genes. It involves the circumstances in which young people live; their access to health care, schools and leisure opportunities; and their homes, communities, towns and cities. It also reflects individual and cultural characteristics such as social status, gender, age and ethnicity, values and discrimination. In short, individual and population health is heavily influenced by social determinants.

The study of social determinants looks at factors outside what could traditionally be defined as “health” areas but which nevertheless have an enormous impact on health and well-being. It is about identifying and creating the conditions within which population health can thrive, ensuring that health promotion and health inequalities reduction become whole-of-government responsibilities, increasing capacity for strong governance for health within countries and internationally, and positioning health as a crucial asset for the inclusive and sustainable development of populations throughout the European Region.

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Everyone should have access to the health services they need without being forced into poverty when paying for them. The World health report 2013 “Research for universal health coverage” argues that universal health coverage – with full access to high-quality services for prevention, treatment and financial risk protection – cannot be achieved without the evidence provided by scientific research.

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This publication reviews quantitative and qualitative evidence on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health from a number of developing countries and, where possible, highlights findings for boys and girls aged less than 15 years in those studies. The review is organized around six interwoven processes that mark girls’ and boys’ passage through adolescence, with an emphasis on the early years. The concluding section brings together a number of research topics and approaches that could form the basis of a coordinated multi-country research agenda for young adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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The report “Adolescent mental health: mapping actions of nongovernmental organizations and other international development organizations” describes actions undertaken by a range of international development organizations to address adolescents’ mental health needs at country level. It was produced in collaboration with UNICEF.

Adolescent mental health is inadequately addressed by international development organizations and actions at country level appear to be fragmented. Interventions for promotion of psychosocial well-being and provision of mental health care to adolescents often have narrowly-focused, project-specific objectives, while opportunities to mainstream adolescent mental health in education, health and child protection programmes are still largely untapped.

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The WHO guidelines, Preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries, provide both a call to action and directions for future research on: 1. Preventing early pregnancy: by preventing marriage before 18 years of age; by increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of pregnancy prevention; by increasing the use of contraception; and by preventing coerced sex; and 2. Preventing poor reproductive outcomes: by reducing unsafe abortions; and by increasing the use of skilled antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care.

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This publication presents experiences of how health systems in Member States of the WHO European Region respond to the challenge of meeting the health and developmental needs of young people. The main aim is to facilitate experience-sharing and stimulate actions in countries. The first part presents a summary of the proceedings of the Meeting on Youth-friendly Health Policies and Services held in Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Scotland), 21−23 September 2009, with suggestions to inform decision-makers’ actions on creating and developing youth-friendly health policies and services in their own countries and internationally. There then follows a series of 12 case studies from nine countries with differing socioeconomic contexts that recently put in place youth health services initiatives. The case studies are presented within a health system framework which recognizes that for service delivery to achieve it aims, sustainable financing, adequate human resource development strategies and responsible leadership are necessary.

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Compared to adults, young people are especially at risk of creating vulnerabilities or developing mental health disorders as they face many new pressures and challenges in their daily lives. Leaving the parental home for the first time, financial worries, limited employment or educational opportunities or worries with human relations can cause high levels of stress, which can trigger mental disorders. Several disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse are identified as having their onset at this age. The document argues that prevention and promotion approaches can be effective in reducing mental health problems and symptoms of mental, aggression and antisocial behaviour, substance use, and in increasing coping skills of children and adolescents.

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Adolescents, both unmarried and married, face many sexual and reproductive health risks stemming from early, unprotected, and unwanted sexual activity. Key factors underlying this issue are lack of access to sexuality education, and to accessible, affordable, and appropriate contraception. There is an urgent need to implement programmes to meet the contraception needs of adolescents, while dismantling the current barriers to adolescents from accessing services.

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