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Adolescence is a time of unique growth and opportunity. Good health and wellbeing in adolescence brings benefits across the life-course and into the next generation. Below you will find descriptions and links to leading publications and documents that focus on key areas for improving the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults from all around the world.If you would like to receive the latest news in your inbox, subscribe to our quarterly newsletter today.

Realising transformative change in adolescent health and wellbeing: a second Lancet Commission

Comment: This Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing seeks to ensure that today's adolescents have the means to address the unique challenges of their generation.
The Lancet
Published: August, 20, 2022

Adolescent transport and unintentional injuries

Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10–24 years during the past three decades.
The Lancet
Published: June, 29, 2022

The health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents

Comment: To drive global advocacy and evidence-based action in Indigenous adolescent health, we have formed the Global Collective for Indigenous Adolescent Health and Evidence-Based Action.
The Lancet
Published: December, 21, 2021

Lancet series on adolescent nutrition

This Series highlights the effect of nutrition on adolescent growth and development, the role the food environment has on food choices, and which strategies and interventions might lead to healthy adolescent nutrition and growth.
The Lancet
Published: November 29, 2021

Global, regional, and national mortality among young people aged 10–24 years, 1950–2019

Documentation of patterns and long-term trends in mortality in people aged 10–24 years in 204 countries and territories from 1950 to 2019, which reflect huge changes in demographic and social determinants of adolescent health, enables identification of global investment priorities for this age group.
The Lancet
Published: October, 30, 2021

Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents

This report examines how proven road safety interventions introduced at scale in the 77 countries could prevent death and serious injury to youth, from 10 years old to 24, between now and 2050.
Published: October, 2021

Progress in adolescent health and wellbeing

Rapid demographic, epidemiological, and nutritional transitions have brought a pressing need to track progress in adolescent health. Here, we present country-level estimates of 12 headline indicators from the Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing, from 1990 to 2016.
The Lancet
Published: March 12, 2019

Adolescence and the next generation

Adolescence is increasingly recognized as a developmental period that has a potential for influencing life-course trajectories that is second only to early life, but that could also shape the growth and development of the following generation.
Nature
Published: February 22, 2018

Adolescent health - vulnerable and under threat

Comment: There is no other group in society more emblematic of the Anthropocene than the adolescent—defined as a person between the ages of 10 and 24 years. The irreversible harm we are inflicting on our planet today will hurt the lives of young people most of all.
The Lancet
Published: February 3, 2018

The age of adolescence

Viewpoint: Adolescence is the phase of life stretching between childhood and adulthood, and its definition has long posed a conundrum.
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
Published: January 17, 2018

Gendered influences on adolescent mental health in LMICs

Comment: An estimated 67,000 adolescents die each year from self-harm, and far more—an estimated 10% of all adolescents—have intentionally harmed themselves.
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
Published: November 27, 2017

Building the foundations for sustainable development: a case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents

We examined investments in countries of low income, lower-middle income, and upper-middle income covering the majority of these adolescents globally to derive estimates of investment returns given existing knowledge.
The Lancet
Published: April 19, 2017

Evidence and evidence gaps in adolescent health

Editorial: The momentum to bring adolescents and young adults to center stage in global health and international development is palpable. Adolescents are increasingly seen as a crucial group for the success of the newly adopted Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Journal of Adolescent Health
Published: October 1, 2016

From advocacy to action in global adolescent health

Commentary: In May 2016, The Lancet published a report titled, “Our Future: A Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing,” the culmination of three years of work from a geographically diverse interdisciplinary group. The report argued that healthy growth across adolescence and young adulthood shapes life course and intergenerational trajectories so that health investments yield a “triple dividend.” With current global interest in adolescent health at an unprecedented level, it outlines three next steps to advance from advocacy to effective action.
Journal of Adolescent Health
Published: October 1, 2016

Our future: a Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing

The largest generation of adolescents and young people in human history (1.8 billion) demands more attention and action. Adolescents and young adults face unprecedented social, economic, and cultural change. This new Lancet Commission argues that there are both current threats, if inaction continues, but also tremendous unrealised opportunities not only for the health and wellbeing of young people themselves but also for the future of society and future generations. The most powerful actions for adolescent health and wellbeing are intersectoral, multilevel, and multicomponent and engage and empower young people themselves to be part of change and accountability mechanisms.
The Lancet
Published: May 11, 2016

Global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors for young people’s health during 1990-2013

Young people’s health has emerged as a neglected yet pressing issue in global development. Changing patterns of young people’s health have the potential to undermine future population health as well as global economic development unless timely and effective strategies are put into place. We report the past, present, and anticipated burden of disease in young people aged 10–24 years from 1990 to 2013 using data on mortality, disability, injuries, and health risk factors.
The Lancet
Published: May 11, 2016

Adolescent health and wellbeing: a key to a sustainable future

Comment: Sabine Kleinert, Richard Horton
The Lancet
Published: May 9, 2016

Sustainability - engaging future generations now

Comment: Ban Ki-moon
The Lancet
Published: May 9, 2016

Advancing the adolescent health agenda

Comment: Melinda Gates
The Lancet
Published: May 9, 2016

Why is suicide the leading killer of older adolescent girls?

Comment: In May and June, 2015, media outlets around the world reported a devastating new finding that shocked the public and public health researchers alike. The Telegraph, Guardian, and National Public Radio all published articles highlighting the fact that suicide had surpassed maternal mortality as the leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19 years globally.
The Lancet
Published: November 21, 2015

Next steps for adolescent health

Comment: Next steps for adolescent health: a Lancet Commission.
The Lancet
Published: February 1, 2014

Adolescent Health 2012

The Lancet’s second Series on Adolescent Health, launched to coincide with the 45th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, argues that it is now time to put the young person, not the specific issue, centre stage. Four papers analyse the role of adolescence as a foundation for future health, the social determinants of adolescent health, the potential of the worldwide application of prevention science, and the current availability of data on 25 suggested core indicators in all countries.
The Lancet
Published: April 25, 2012

Global burden of disease in young people aged 10-24 years: a systematic analysis

Young people aged 10-24 years represent 27% of the world's population. Although important health problems and risk factors for disease in later life emerge in these years, the contribution to the global burden of disease is unknown. We describe the global burden of disease arising in young people and the contribution of risk factors to that burden.
The Lancet
Published: June 7, 2011

50-year mortality trends in children and young people

50-year mortality trends in children and young people: a study of 50 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Global attention has focused on mortality in children younger than 5 years. We analysed global mortality data for people aged 1–24 years across a 50-year period.
The Lancet
Published: March 29, 2011

Global patterns of mortality in young people

Global patterns of mortality in young people: a systematic analysis of population health data. Pronounced changes in patterns of health take place in adolescence and young adulthood, but the effects on mortality patterns worldwide have not been reported. We analysed worldwide rates and patterns of mortality between early adolescence and young adulthood.
The Lancet
Published: September 12, 2009

Adolescent Health 2007

In 2007, The Lancet published its first adolescent health series, which highlighted particular areas of attention, such as sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and substance misuse.
The Lancet
Published: March 27, 2007

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