These are unprecedented times as the entire world has pivoted to address the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many unknowns, but based on previous humanitarian crises, we know that the needs of adolescents are likely to be overlooked in the responses from the health service and other sectors.
During the week of International Youth Day, FP2020 is joining with International Association of Adolescent Health (IAAH) and other critical clinical associations in calling on countries and clinicians to protect and support the health and wellbeing of adolescents throughout the pandemic response. First and foremost is to ensure adolescents are able to obtain quality health information and services. This must include sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services so that adolescents can prevent, delay, or space a pregnancy, and avoid sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Continued inattention to identifying and addressing their health and social needs will have far-reaching consequences for adolescents and their communities.
This statement was developed by FP2020 and IAAH, with input from global professional associations of health care providers — including OB-GYNs, midwives, pharmacists and pediatricians. In addition,the World Health Organization Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (WHO/SRH) and UNFPA’ Technical Division contributed to the technical content and review of this statement. It is intended to be a resource that health-care workers can use to raise awareness of the needs of adolescents, and to spur actions that minimize risks and vulnerabilities. Health-care providers are respected leaders in their communities and are well positioned to facilitate such efforts, along with parents, teachers, religious leaders and young people themselves.
Here are some immediate ways to use the statement:
- Identify and implement activities that provider associations and individual members can take to influence national and local health policies, programs, and guidelines to ensure the health needs of adolescents and young people are acknowledged and addressed.
- Identify and implement actions that you can take in your community and in your own practice to protect the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people.
- If you use social media, please make use of the social media toolkit produced by FP2020 which can be found here.
One of the most important things you can do is to spend time with young people in your community. Listen to the challenges they face, and work in partnership with them to address the multiple concerns that have been exacerbated by COVID-19.
On International Youth Day, we thank you for being an ally of adolescents and young people and ensuring their health during COVID-19.