Pay attention to teen health - PAHO/WHO

A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is revealing that the health of today's youth across the globe is being threatened by ten leading factors.

In the Health of the World's Adolescents report, it showed that the top-five causes of deaths in adolescents in the 10-19 age group were: road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS, suicide, lower respiratory infections and violence. Diarrhoea, drowning, meningitis and epilepsy round out the top 10.

For the top causes of illnesses and disability, depression, road traffic injuries, anaemia, HIV/AIDS, and self-harm were the top five. Completing the top 10 were back and neck pain, diarrhea, anxiety disorders, asthma, and lower respiratory infections.

The report revealed that an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012 worldwide.

Drawing on a wealth of published evidence and consultations with 10- to 19-year-olds around the world, the report also brings together, for the first time, all WHO guidance on the full spectrum of health issues affecting adolescents. These include tobacco, alcohol and drug use, HIV, injuries, mental health, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, and violence. The report recommended key actions to strengthen the ways countries respond to adolescents' physical and mental-health needs.

The report noted that while most adolescents were healthy most of the time, many had health problems that required serious attention from the health sector. The world health governing bodies were calling for greater attention to these problems, which they said would not just prevent deaths and illness but also improve health across the life course by addressing conditions and behaviours that start or are reinforced during adolescence.

not enough attention

"The world has not paid enough attention to the health of adolescents," stated Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Women and Children's Health.

"We hope this report will focus high-level attention on the health needs of 10- to 19-year-olds and serve as a springboard for accelerated action on adolescent health."

On the issue of mental health, the report stated that half of those who develop mental disorders exhibit their first symptoms by age 14 years. Noting that if adolescents with mental-health problems get help early, this can prevent death and suffering later in life.

The report stated that adolescence is an important time for laying the foundations of good health in adulthood, disclosing that many health-related behaviours and conditions that underlie the major non-communicable diseases start or are reinforced during this period of life.