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Adolescents and Youth

Giving young people top priority

UNFPA’s focus on adolescents and youth is based on the recognition that young people, particularly those living in poverty, have been virtually ignored in policies and programmes. And that this period of their lives is a critical transition between childhood and taking on adult responsibilities.

Yet, of the 1.8 billion young people in the world today, about half survive on less than $2 a day, while more than 100 million adolescents do not attend school. Sixteen million adolescent girls become mothers every year. Almost 40 per cent of the 6,800 new HIV infections each day are among young people.

UNFPA recognizes that young people are diverse. The needs of a 12 year-old girl are very different from those of a 24 year-old male. Effective policies and programmes for adolescents and youth take this diversity into account.

UNFPA’s Framework for Action on Adolescents and Youth articulates the organization’s multisectoral strategy to promote the comprehensive development of young people worldwide. Its four pillars include:

  • addressing population, youth, and poverty issues at the policy level
  • expanding access to gender-sensitive, life skills–based sexual and reproductive health including HIV education in schools and community settings;
  • promoting a core package of health and sexual and reproductive health/HIV services
  • encouraging young people’s leadership and participation within the context of sector-wide approaches, poverty reduction strategies and health sector reforms.

The framework also calls for upholding the rights of young people, and especially for marginalized groups and adolescent girls.

Publications

Fact Sheets

Multimedia

 

International Year of Youth

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initiatives and Partnerships

05 January 2012

UNFPA 2011 Maternal Health Highlights

It was a busy, successful year for UNFPA as it continued to work in 2011 with partners to address universal access to reproductive health, including maternal health, treatment for obstetric fistula and family planning, and to improve the lives of women and young people around the world. more
30 December 2011

Rapping for Reproductive Health in Yemen

SANA'A — Rap has won over Yemeni youth. It was in a UNFPA-supported workshop gathering media and young people where the idea for a rap song to promote reproductive health was born. Ahmed Bazugifan and Akram Wageeh were among the participants in the workshop, writing lyrics as their contribution to the closing ceremony. more
22 December 2011

Youths Vow to Protect Themselves and Others

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Young leaders from 38 African countries have pledged to act as role models for their fellow youths by “protecting ourselves, our partners and families from HIV, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, harmful practices and gender-based violence which negatively affect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.” The young leaders were participating in a three-day training course before the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) this month in Addis Ababa. more