Progress for children: a report card on adolescents

As children up to the age of 18, most adolescents are protected under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Yet, their vulnerabilities and needs often remain unaddressed. This document sets out who adolescents are, where they live, what they do, what their problems are and how their needs are, or are not, being met. Specifically, it looks at: the socio-demographic profile of adolescents; education and work; adolescent mortality morbidity and health-related behaviours; adolescent sexual behaviour, childbearing and maternal health, and HIV; violence; and the way forward. The way forward suggests a six-pronged approach: adopt a life-cycle approach; view adolescence through an equity lens; make better use of data; approach adolescents intersectorally; develop services to address the specific needs of adolescents; and, recognise adolescents’ potential as agents of change.