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Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) progress in the 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development, and prospects for the next 25 years

https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-adolescent-health/vol/65/issue/6/suppl/S

We are pleased to share with you a Journal of Adolescent Health Supplement titled: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) progress in the 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development, and prospects for the next 25 years which WHO RHR/HRP has developed in collaboration with UNFPA. Two of the papers look back at the progress made over the last 25 years, and two others look ahead and set out the prospects for the next 25 years.

The central message of this supplement is that there is a pressing need to address the ASRHR of adolescents, that progress is possible to make and has been made on some fronts, that we are in a never-before moment for adolescent health, and that we must use it to the full to meet the needs and fulfil the rights of adolescents. This message is very much in line with the call made at the ICPD plus 25 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2019 on the importance of “delivering the unfinished agenda” and “making the ICPD relevant for young people”.

Below are the full set of four papers and editorials:

  1. Liang M et al. The State of Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
    This paper provides an overview of levels and trends in a wide range of factors related to ASRHR since 1994. The review shows that the environments in which adolescents live have changed globally. So have their SRHR needs. It also reveals significant lessons for future program intervention and policy development on ASRHR.
  2. Chandra-Mouli V et al. The Political, Research, Programmatic, and Social Responses to Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the 25 Years Since the International Conference on Population and Development
    This paper reviews the progress that has been made in selected aspects of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights in the 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development, and what helped and hindered this progress. In drawing out these lessons, it provides the basis for well-informed actions to build on the progress made in the next 25 years.
  3. Engel D et al. A Package of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Interventions—What Does It Mean for Adolescents?
    This article presents adolescent-specific considerations for implementing a package of essential SRHR interventions. Adolescents’ unique attributes and needs, and the barriers they face in accessing care impact the delivery of each intervention of the package. While certain aspects of SRHR are unique to this age group, all SRHR interventions are relevant to adolescents and can be adapted to ensure service delivery is adolescent responsive in practice, and contributing to the progressive realization of UHC.
  4. Plesons M et al. Forward, Together: A Collaborative Path to Comprehensive Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Our Time
    To build on the progress made on ASRHR in the 25 years since the ICPD, we must take into account emerging opportunities and challenges, progressively build on and scale up what has worked, and diligently monitor quality and coverage. At the same time, we will need to work differently – moving beyond more-of-the-same and business-as-usual – in five key areas of action to achieve those things that we have said are important but have often failed to turn into action.

These sets of slides and video film explain the key messages of the supplement:

Translations

The sets of slides and journal abstracts are available in the following languages:

French

Spanish