AA-HA!

2023 marks the halfway point of the world’s journey towards the Sustainable Development Goals, presenting an important moment to consolidate and advance advocacy, commitment, resource mobilization and joint efforts by all stakeholders to invest in adolescent health and well-being.

The first edition of the Global accelerated action for the health of adolescents (AA-HA!): guidance to support country implementation, published six years ago, helped to draw attention to the need for a comprehensive response to adolescent health after decades of neglect. Since its launch in May 2017, WHO and UN agencies from the H6 Partnership have been working closely with countries to support them in updating and developing comprehensive adolescent health strategies and plans. Today, many more governments are investing in a new generation of adolescent health programmes that are comprehensive, evidence-based and developed in close consultation with adolescents and youth.

This second edition of the AA-HA! guidance advances the case for investing in adolescent health and well- being in important ways. First, it integrates lessons from the application of the first edition of the AA-HA! guidance. Second, it provides the latest data on health, mortality, morbidity and well-being determinants and features the recent consensus on core indicators for adolescent health and well-being. Third, it builds on significant political and scientific advances since 2017 and integrates the adolescent well-being framework – developed in partnership with PMNCH and UN agencies from the H6 Partnership – into the programming process. And, finally, it integrates lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Armed with new knowledge about how multisectoral action can contribute to reaping the triple dividend of benefits for adolescents now, for their future adult lives and for the next generation, we have a clearer vision of what is needed, how to deliver it and the priority actions and enhanced investments that are urgently required.

Our work to promote adolescent health and well-being cannot be successful without making adolescents feel safe, respected, empowered, fairly treated and duly recognized. This is why we established the WHO Youth Council – a dynamic network that will amplify the voices and experiences of young people and leverage their expertise, energy and ideas to promote public health.

The UN partnership that was created while developing the first edition of the AA-HA! guidance has been cemented in this second edition. We will work together with our global partners to improve adolescent health and well-being today, so that the health of future generations will be better tomorrow.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

PMNCH is pleased to be a partner in developing the second edition of the Global AA-HA! guidance.
The guidance draws on five domains of the Adolescent Well-being Framework coordinated by PMNCH and will be instrumental in promoting and encouraging greater financial investment, policy shift and programme redesign to strengthen multisectoral programming for adolescent well-being in countries. To support national partners in implementation of AA-HA!, PMNCH and partners are developing an investment case and measurement approaches for adolescent well-being. Drawing on the principles of Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement developed by the adolescent and youth constituency of PMNCH, AA-HA! recognizes adolescents and youth as co-owners in the designing and delivery of strategies, policies and services that affect their well-being, their communities and their countries. While we celebrate successes, much more needs to be done for this population group to achieve their full potential, accelerate progress on SDGs and set the post-2030 agenda. We stand ready to support next steps.

Helga Fogstad Helga Fogstad

The second edition reflects the progress in advancing the case for investing in adolescent health and well- being and addressing the inequalities preventing adolescents and youth from benefitting from a wide range of essential health services, including HIV services. The guidance pushes for a multisectoral, multisystem and youth-led approach. It provides strong evidence for holistic multisectoral interventions that recognize the connection between good health and nutrition, education, life skills and employability. This is in line with the Education Plus initiative championed by 15 countries across Africa and the African Union and jointly led by UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women. Education Plus is designed to ensure that girls complete secondary education and provides them with life skills, access to youth-friendly health services, violence-free environments and economic opportunities after school to prevent HIV, empower them and, by doing so, change the trajectory of AIDS on the African continent. It is also consistent with our efforts to support youth leadership in the AIDS response and bring together multiple partners around youth-centred initiatives worldwide.

Winnie Byanyima Winnie Byanyima

We now have the largest generation of adolescents that the world has ever seen, and the proportion of those who will become adolescents within the next decade is even greater. In a context where the impacts of conflict, climate change and pandemics are increasing, we must strive to equitably meet the diverse health and well-being needs of adolescents globally. These guidelines critically outline the multisectoral, multilevel and gender-responsive interventions essential to reduce risks and boost protective factors impacting adolescent health and well-being. UNICEF is committed to empowering adolescents, their caregivers and their communities to proactively care for their own health and well-being. At the same time, UNICEF is also committed to accelerating efforts to strengthen systems and workforces across sectors to meet the needs of all adolescents and their communities. Investments in adolescents yield a triple dividend of benefits: improving the well-being of today’s adolescents, enhancing young people’s future prospects and improving outcomes for generations to come.

Catherine Russell Catherine Russell

In our world of eight billion people, the future hinges on the health and well-being of our young people. For decades UNFPA has partnered with young people in advancing their sexual and reproductive health and well-being. In doing so, we have learned a lot about what adolescents need by listening to their voices and perspectives. We have come to understand the critical investments necessary to ensure that they navigate their formative years well informed and supported and emerge well equipped for the journey into adulthood.

This updated AA-HA! guidance encapsulates this wealth of knowledge and highlights the pressing need to strengthen, expand and sustain sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes for adolescent girls and boys worldwide. It directs governments, policy-makers, programme managers and practitioners towards initiatives that have proven effective in empowering adolescents with the knowledge, tools and resources to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and their lives, fostering a healthier and more equitable future for all.

Natalia Kanem Natalia Kanem

The evidence is compelling – a quality education is fundamental to health and well-being. And for children and adolescents to enjoy school and learn, they must be well nourished and healthy. UNESCO applauds the revised AA-HA! Guidance that shows how to leverage the symbiotic link between education and health, and assimilates learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and from the implementation of its first edition. The guidance plots a course towards a comprehensive, evidence-informed multi-sectoral approach to adolescent health, highlighting the crucial role of education and the inclusion of young people's voices in policy-making, thereby enriching our educational systems with their perspectives and vitality. We believe that this updated guidance can serve as a vital compass for education policy-makers and practitioners across the globe, to play a transformative role in improving adolescent education, health and well-being, thereby setting a solid foundation for a future generation that is healthier, better educated, and empowered. By working together, we can shape a more promising, sustainable future for all.

Stefania Giannini Stefania Giannini

The second edition of the AA-HA! Guidance is an important reference for advancing adolescent health and well-being. It provides a skillful expression of a holistic approach to adolescent well-being, one that is multisectoral and advances adolescents’ agency. For UN Women, the equal participation and representation of young women and adolescent girls is key to unlocking transformational change in health and well-being and to achieve a sustainable future for everyone. UN Women invests in and enhances the leadership capacities of adolescent girls and young women through feminist leadership trainings, mentorship and peer engagement, focused on integrating young women’s priorities in the HIV response. Young women and girls have the right to lead, they are capable leaders and they are realizing ‘Generation Equality’ now! Together, we must continue transform unequal gender norms and challenge biases in institutions and policies; and we must create spaces and invest in young women’s organizing and movement-building; nothing less will do.

Sima Bahous Sima Bahous

WEP addresses the nutritional needs of adolescents through our food assistance, nutrition, HIV and school feeding programs. This is essential in humanitarian and fragile settings, where young people are often undernourished, and girls are particularly vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.

Increasing adolescents' access to affordable and nutritious diets brings a broad range of benefits, supporting their future development and helping them realize their full potential.

The second edition of the AA-AH! Guidance builds upon existing evidence and knowledge, shifting from a health-focused approach to a comprehensive strategy that includes ending hunger and malnutrition.

By advocating for cross-sectoral and integrated initiatives, the report creates greater opportunities for the education and social protection sectors to join forces with health specialists to maximize the impact of investments in young people's nutrition, health and long-term well-being.

Cindy McCain Cindy McCain