WHO: adolescent health requires urgent action

The 68th session of the World Health Assembly was recently held, where it was proposed to develop a program for the protection of adolescent health together with young people, key partners, and WHO member countries. In September last year, a global strategy was launched, according to which every woman, child, and adolescent anywhere in the world will be provided with the rights to physical and mental health, social and economic opportunities, and will also be able to take an active part in the formation of a successful society.

The WHO Programme for countries and partners outlines key areas for planning and creating measures to meet the health needs of the younger generation. At this stage, everyone is invited to express their opinion on the programme and the points that should be included in it. An online survey was created specifically for this purpose, the results of which will be transferred to the editorial team after completion and will be taken into account when creating the draft Programme for the Protection of Adolescent Health.

There are more than 1 billion teenagers living on the planet, and they differ from other population groups in some ways:

• The health of adolescents determines survival rates, health promotion in later life, and the health of future generations
• It is at this age that people begin to make decisions about a healthy lifestyle, the use of psychotropic drugs, having sex, etc., and the choice of teenagers can be influenced with the help of programs specifically targeted at this generation.

It is worth noting that very little attention was paid to teenagers all this time:

• have seen the smallest percentage decline in mortality since 2000, while all other population groups have benefited more from the epidemiological shift
• Despite the decline in HIV mortality, the death rate among adolescents from this deadly infection continues to increase
• Adolescent girls face high risks of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, most do not receive information about life-saving preventive measures and do not have access to effective contraception
• Adolescents are the least satisfied with health services compared to other population groups and also experience problems accessing such services (high costs, etc.)
• The rights of teenagers are limited.

According to experts, all this is due to the fact that teenagers are usually considered children, albeit matured, while the unique emotional, cognitive and social capabilities of the brain during this period are often ignored.

It is also commonly believed that teenagers are the healthiest group of the population, but the facts indicate otherwise - in 2012 alone, more than 1 million teenagers died, and some of these deaths could have been avoided.

In developed countries, mortality at the age of 15-19 is several times higher than for children aged one to four years; most young people die from completely preventable causes, without ever becoming full members of society.

All programs aimed at teenagers do not take into account age-related characteristics, which differ between older and younger adolescents.

Much attention is paid to teenage pregnancy and HIV infections, but the main causes of death and disability among this population group remain unaddressed, in particular, teenage depression, which is the leading cause of death among young girls aged 15 to 19. Another cause of disability and death among young people is trauma, but investment in this area is much less than in reproductive health and HIV.

Modern healthcare systems are focused mainly on adults and young children, despite the fact that in a number of countries every fifth resident is a teenager.

Today, less than half of countries address tobacco use and adolescent mental health in their policies, but the situation in practice is much worse. Now is the time to change this, and policymakers need to understand the needs of adolescents and what they mean for policy and health systems, and prioritize and de-emphasize adolescent health.

Teenage problems require a comprehensive approach, as their range is quite wide – from extra pounds and violence to pregnancy and depression.