We must all work together to combat inequalities and discriminatory practices so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of good health, no matter their age, sex, race, religion, health status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or migration status.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General
7 MARCH 2019 – Adolescents make up one-sixth of the world’s population and 6% of the global burden of disease and injury. Investing in the health of adolescents promotes sustainable development, is an investment in health across the lifecourse, and contributes to breaking the intergenerational transmission of health inequities. And yet every day, millions of adolescents, often from the most marginalized populations in society, struggle to access health services and achieve positive health outcomes.
WHO’s new Handbook for Conducting an Adolescent Health Services Barriers Assessment (AHSBA) with a Focus on Disadvantaged Adolescents outlines how governments and partners can assess health equity and barriers to services in order to identify which adolescents are being left behind, and why. By identifying not only health system bottlenecks impeding effective coverage, but also cultural, social and gender norms that act as barriers, the approach allows for identification of often overlooked solutions to health inequities.
This handbook is an example of how WHO is operationalizing its “Triple Billion” targets towards Health For All by ensuring that the health of every adolescent is accounted for, even in the most disadvantaged or vulnerable situations. Identifying who is left behind and why is necessary to address and redress inequities. This work is fundamental to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), as well as the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
A three-day training course on the Handbook, scheduled for 19 – 21 March 2019 in Geneva, aims build the capacity of national delegations to adapt and apply the methods to their national contexts. Co-organized by WHO and UNICEF with financial support from the UK Department for International Development (DfID), it will also share lessons learned from the locations where pilots have already taken place.