Adolescents Health: Risks and Solutions

Key facts

• An estimated 1.3 million adolescents died in 2015, mostly from preventable or treatable causes.
• Road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death in 2012, with some 330 adolescents dying every day.
• Other main causes of adolescent deaths include HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections and interpersonal violence.
• Globally, there are 49 births per 1000 girls aged 15 to 19 per year.
• Half of all mental health disorders in adulthood start by age 14, but most cases are undetected and untreated.

---

Around 1 in 6 persons in the world is an adolescent: that is 1.2 billion people aged 10 to 19.
Most are healthy, but there is still significant death, illness and diseases among adolescents. Illnesses can hinder their ability to grow and develop to their full potential. Alcohol or tobacco use, lack of physical activity, unprotected sex and/or exposure to violence can jeopardize not only their current health, but often their health for years to come, and even the health of their future children.
Promoting healthy practices during adolescence, and taking steps to better protect young people from health risks are critical for the prevention of health problems in adulthood, and for countries’ future health and social infrastructure.

Main health issues include:

Early pregnancy and childbirth

1. HIV
2. Other infectious diseases
3. Mental health
4. Violence
5. Alcohol and drugs
6. Injuries
7. Malnutrition and obesity
8. Exercise and nutrition
9. Tobacco use
10. Rights of adolescents

WHO response In May 2014, WHO published a major report called “Health for the world’s adolescents”. The report analyses what is known about adolescents’ health, including what promotes or undermines it, highlights gaps in policies and services, and draws together guidance and recommendations from across WHO. The report, which focuses on the health sector, examines areas of significant improvements and innovative approaches.
WHO also provides technical advice to the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, and is working with other UN agencies and partners to develop a Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) Framework, which will aim to help countries to decide what to do in adolescent health and how to do it.
Overall, WHO carries out a range of functions to improve the health of young people, including:

• production of evidence-based guidelines to support health services and other sectors;
• • making recommendations to governments on adolescent health and the provision of high quality, age-appropriate health services for adolescents;
• raising awareness of health issues for young people among the general public and special groups.