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Adolescence: A Foundation for Future Health

(July 2014) In 2012, the Lancet published a special issue on adolescent health to address some of these gaps and to call for greater attention and commitment to adolescent health. Together, the articles in this issue offer a cohesive approach to understanding and improving adolescent health within the larger context of global health.

To help expand the reach of this series, the Population Reference Bureau has developed three fact sheets outlining the key messages and information from selected articles.

Fact Sheet 1, Adolescence: A Foundation for Future Health, places adolescence within the life course and illustrates the importance of addressing adolescent health in order to preserve and improve lifelong health. Adolescence is a period of significant transitions that influence health outcomes and behavior. This fact sheet outlines the unique health risks and opportunities that characterize this period, as described by Susan Sawyer and colleagues, and summarizes the case for including young people in all global health agendas.


Kate Gilles, a policy analyst in International Programs at PRB, prepared this fact sheet.