In 2015 all UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It sets out 17 goals, which include 169 targets that are being tracked by 232 unique indicators. Together, the SDGs aim to transform our world, calling for action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. Adolescents are repeatedly mentioned as a group crucial to achieving many of the SDGs. Yet, they are largely invisible in the global indicator framework, due in part to a lack of age- and sex-disaggregated details to measure progress for 10–19-year-olds. 

The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030) (Global Strategy) emphasizes that children and adolescents must be at the heart of the SDGs and strives for a world in which every woman, child and adolescent can thrive and realize their full potential. Its objectives and targets, as well as 34 of its 60 indicators, are aligned with the SDGs, while an additional 26 indicators have been drawn from established global initiatives for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. In total, 43 of the Global Strategy indicators relate to adolescent health. 

To focus measurement on the most important adolescent health issues, the Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent health (GAMA) Advisory Group proposes 47 priority indicators. These indicators draw from and complement those included in the monitoring frameworks of the SDGs and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health. Building on existing systems, countries should – as much as possible – collect and use the data on these indicators to monitor progress towards improving the health of their adolescents.