Overview
Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19. Young adolescents are those and 10-14 years, while older adolescents are those 15-19 years. It is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health. Adolescents experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth. This affects how they feel, think, make decisions, and interact with the world around them.
Despite being thought of as a healthy stage of life, there is significant death, illness, and injury in the adolescent years. Much of this is preventable or treatable. During this phase, adolescents establish patterns of behaviors – for instance, related to diet, physical activity, substance use, and sexual activity – that can protect or put at risk their health and those around them, now and in the future.
To grow and develop in good health, adolescents need information; opportunities to develop life skills; health services that are acceptable, equitable, appropriate, and effective; and safe and supportive environments. They also need opportunities to meaningfully participate in the design and delivery of interventions to improve and maintain their health. Expanding such opportunities is key to responding to adolescents’ specific needs and rights.
In the African region, the leading causes of deaths among young adolescent boys and girls are communicable diseases: diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, lower respiratory tract infections and malaria. Causes of deaths among the older adolescents vary by sex with tuberculosis, inter-personal violence, HIV/AIDS, and diarrheal diseases ranking highest among boys while conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth is the lead cause of death among older adolescent girls, followed by HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases.
In 2023, HIV prevalence among adolescents in the African region was estimated at 1.6% and 0.8% among female and male adolescents respectively. There is wide variation in prevalence across sub-regions and countries with highest prevalence being in East and Southern Africa. The ART coverage among adolescents in the region is 56% just slightly below the global average of 57%.
Though death is relatively low among adolescents compared to under-five children, they suffer significant morbidities. Iron deficiency anaemia is the leading of cause of morbidity among young adolescents’ boys and girls. Mental illness ranks highest cause of morbidly among older adolescent boys and girls. Common mental health illness among adolescents includes depressive disorders, childhood behavioural disorders, anxiety disorders and migraine.
Protective factors for adolescent health and wellbeing include health diets; connectedness, positive values and contribution to society; safety and supportive environment; learning competency, education, skills and employability; agency and resilience.
- High level advocacy and policy dialogue with member states, inter-government agencies, regional economic communities, other UN agencies and partners for placement of health and wellbeing of adolescent high on national development agenda.
- Facilitating assessment of policies and laws to address bottlenecks and to promote the health and wellbeing of adolescents at structural level of ecology.
- Provision of leadership to evidence based comprehensive government led multi-sector programming for health and wellbeing of adolescents guided by the second edition of Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents.
- Supporting institutional capacity building for members states and partners for Increasing adolescents’ access to quality services through actions on three delivery platforms: health services, schools, and digital platform for reaching adolescents directly with information and services.
- Establishment and operationalizing joint accountability mechanisms including monitoring and evaluation at regional and country and sub-national levels.
- Monitoring and reporting of trends of health and wellbeing including access to interventions, availability, and quality of services for decision making and accountability for the health and wellbeing of adolescents as a stage of the life course continuum.
