And growing youth movement around the world, numbering 1.8 billion peoplecalls for greater attention to policies and funding for their health and well-being, according to the PMNCH in a statement sent to PressAfrik.
The world population has officially reached 8 billion people this week, as the largest generation of young people in history – 1.8 billion adolescents and young people (aged 10-24) – face unprecedented health and welfare. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage, but between 2003 and 2015, only 1.6% of development health aid was dedicated to programs for adolescents. The situation has been greatly exacerbated by the triple threat of conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Providing quality sexual and reproductive health care to adolescents and young people was high on the agenda of the international conference on family planning (ICFP 2022), held November 14-17 in Pattaya, Thailand. The world’s largest scientific conference on family planning and reproductive health and rights brought together more than 3,500 delegates, representing governments, parliaments, NGOs, UN agencies, and youth organizations , the private sector and academia, among others.
Environ 12 million girls aged 15 to 19 and at least 777,000 girls under the age of 15 give birth each year in developing countries. At least 10 million unwanted pregnancies occur each year among adolescent girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries, while complications from pregnancy and childbirth are among the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 in the world.
Due to age-related stigma and discrimination and ambiguous or restrictive laws, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to unsafe abortion. Of the approximately 5.6 million abortions that take place each year among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19, 3.9 million are practiced in dangerous conditions, which contributes to maternal mortality, morbidity and long-lasting health problems. Existing gaps in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have been exacerbated by COVID-19, which according to estimationsreduces adolescent access to modern contraceptives by 12% and access to maternity care by 25%.
The International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) 2022 closed with the launch of a global consensus report, titled: Let Them Know: A Youth-Led Global Roadmap of Action for Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. This roadmap, developed by more than 40 youth-led organizations, aims to fully ensure sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for all young people.
PMNCH, the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, is cited in the report as a key platform for encouraging the participation and leadership of adolescents and girls. The 1.8 Billion Youth for Change Campaign of PMNCH organizes, in October 2023, the Global Teen Forum ; the largest gathering of young people in the world.
“More often than not, policies and programs are developed and designed for young people, not by young people,” said Sahil Tandon, Packard Foundation; Vice-Chair of the PMNCH Strategic Advocacy Committee and Co-Chair of the Global Teen Forum Program Action Group. “There is potential, power and will in young leaders and they should define the agenda that concerns them taking into account their demands, their demands and their aspirations for their well-being. »
During the conference, young people took part in an intergenerational dialogue with national and global leaders. The ‘Lunch with Leaders’ event, jointly organized by PMNCH and UNFPA, allowed young people to engage directly with leaders and policy makers on their agenda for change.
“Policymakers should ask their constituents regarding the expectations of young people, work across sectors and take a holistic approach to adolescent wellbeing”said Dr. David Ibago, head of the YIELD platform and member of the PMNCH Board of Directors, representing its “Adolescents and young people” department. “This is an opportunity for you to reflect on conditions and partnerships that will last for many years”he told policymakers over lunch.
There is every reason to believe that an investment in adolescents is economically sound and very profitable. It is estimated that every dollar invested in youth programs typically yields between 5 and 10 dollarswith some interventions even showing superior performance.
Lucy Fagan, lead UN group for children and youth, a member of the PMNCH working group on accountability and co-chair of the action group on partnership and communication, stressed the importance of leveraging the opportunities offered by the digital age to know and claim their rights, as well as the need to invest more in SRHR services for adolescents and to involve young people in the design and development of the services they use.
“The money should come to us, to the youth-led organisations”said Ms. Fagan. “Many of us are already making changes on the ground and supporting access to stigma-free information, services and peer support. Access to sustainable and flexible funding can allow us to do our job and do it well. We stand up for our rights, we want to be accountable, we want to be full partners in this journey together for sexual and reproductive health and rights and we want change now.”
