Today’s adolescents make up the largest generation in history, standing at 1.8 billion and a landmark study in The Lancet reveals that these young people are encountering greater health challenges than those faced 25 years ago.
The study tracked the progress of the health of those aged between ten and 24 years in 195 countries between 1990 and 2016 against 12 indicators including tobacco use, obesity, anaemia, secondary school education, child marriage, nutrition and non-communicable diseases. AKU’s Professor Marleen Temmerman, Director of the Center of Excellence for Women and Child Health in East Africa, is one of the authors of the study.
The report notes that investments in adolescent health have not kept pace with needs. Compared to 1990, there are now 180 million more adolescents overweight and obese, and 75 million more living with anaemia. There has been little change in the numbers of young people not completing secondary education and there remains substantial gender inequality in post-education opportunities.
An additional 250 million adolescents are now living in countries that have a significantly higher burden of health problems such as communicable, maternal and nutritional challenges, while having the least resources available to protect their well-being.
The study’s lead author, Burnet Institute co-head of adolescent health Dr Peter Azzopardi, said investments in adolescent health provide a “triple dividend” by ensuring the health of adolescents now, in the future, and for their children.
“Many countries in the Asia Pacific region and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of the world’s adolescents live, don’t have access to data describing adolescent health needs. This report describes how they are progressing, but also how they compare with the rest of the world,” Dr Azzopardi said.
Today’s adolescents make up the largest generation in history, standing at 1.8 billion and a landmark study in The Lancet reveals that these young people are encountering greater health challenges than those faced 25 years ago.
The study tracked the progress of the health of those aged between ten and 24 years in 195 countries between 1990 and 2016 against 12 indicators including tobacco use, obesity, anaemia, secondary school education, child marriage, nutrition and non-communicable diseases. AKU’s Professor Marleen Temmerman, Director of the Center of Excellence for Women and Child Health in East Africa, is one of the authors of the study.
The report notes that investments in adolescent health have not kept pace with needs. Compared to 1990, there are now 180 million more adolescents overweight and obese, and 75 million more living with anaemia. There has been little change in the numbers of young people not completing secondary education and there remains substantial gender inequality in post-education opportunities.
An additional 250 million adolescents are now living in countries that have a significantly higher burden of health problems such as communicable, maternal and nutritional challenges, while having the least resources available to protect their well-being.
The study’s lead author, Burnet Institute co-head of adolescent health Dr Peter Azzopardi, said investments in adolescent health provide a “triple dividend” by ensuring the health of adolescents now, in the future, and for their children.
“Many countries in the Asia Pacific region and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of the world’s adolescents live, don’t have access to data describing adolescent health needs. This report describes how they are progressing, but also how they compare with the rest of the world,” Dr Azzopardi said.