Adolescent health: Issues and challenges for south-east Asia region

The promotion of adolescent health has gained priority in recent years throughout the world. The changing environment in which young people live and its impact on their behaviour in turn has implications for health in general and reproductive health (RH) in particular. The changing nature of health problems calls for new responses from the health sector to promote and protect adolescent health, specifically RH. Some of the main issues and challenges are how to provide the knowledge, skills and better access to services as regards their sexual and RH within the prevailing cultural and social value systems, particularly in the South-East Asia Region. The role of the health sector is a vital one, and crucial to the provision of health services which should strive to be preventive as well as curative when needed. It is essential that good linkages be established, especially at the local level across health services, and also between health services. Further attempts should be made to inform, educate and communicate to and with young people so that services become truly accessible. The health sector also has a role to play beyond services that include research, training, evaluation, information, provision and advocacy fostering various sectors and partnerships between young people, adult related sectors, communities and families. The RH problems in adolescents, challenges and issues related to designing programmes for adolescents are discussed in this chapter.