Question 1

Why is adolescent health a public health priority?

Accepted Answer

Adolescence (ages 10-19) is a unique developmental window when health behaviours, physical and mental trajectories, and social determinants of adult health are established. 1.2 billion adolescents — the largest generation ever — account for approximately 1.1 million preventable deaths per year and bear 15% of the global disease burden. Most adult NCDs, mental disorders and injuries have their roots in adolescence, making investment in adolescent health one of the highest-return public health strategies.

Question 2

What are the leading causes of adolescent death?

Accepted Answer

Road traffic injuries are the single largest cause of adolescent death globally — followed by lower respiratory infections, drowning, intentional self-harm, interpersonal violence and diarrhoeal diseases. In high-income countries, mental health conditions and suicide are increasingly prominent. Maternal conditions (pregnancy complications) are a major cause among adolescent girls aged 15-19.

Question 3

What is the adolescent mental health burden?

Accepted Answer

Mental disorders affect approximately 1 in 7 adolescents globally. 50% of all mental health conditions begin before age 14. Mental disorders — including depression, anxiety and conduct disorders — are the leading cause of adolescent disability globally. Yet in most countries, fewer than 2% of health budgets are spent on mental health, and adolescent mental health services are extremely limited. Early intervention in adolescence can prevent adult mental illness.

Question 4

What is the WHO AA-HA! framework?

Accepted Answer

AA-HA! (Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents) is WHO's implementation guidance for national adolescent health programmes — covering eight priority areas: sexual and reproductive health; undernutrition and overnutrition; physical activity; mental health; substance use; unintentional injuries; violence and injuries; and vaccine-preventable diseases. It guides countries in assessing needs, prioritising interventions and building adolescent-responsive health systems.

Question 5

Why is adolescent sexual health neglected?

Accepted Answer

Approximately 15 million girls aged 15-19 give birth each year — mostly in LMICs, often to unwanted pregnancies. Adolescent girls face high risks of obstetric complications from early pregnancy. Access to contraception, sexuality education and safe abortion is restricted by law, stigma or family opposition in many countries. Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) — addressing relationships, gender, consent and health — consistently reduces unintended pregnancy and STIs.

Question 6

What is the adolescent nutrition challenge?

Accepted Answer

Adolescents face a double burden of malnutrition: approximately 155 million adolescent girls are anaemic (from iron deficiency), affecting cognitive development and pregnancy outcomes; while adolescent obesity is rising rapidly globally, particularly in high-income and urban settings. WHO recommends iron and folic acid supplementation for adolescent girls in high-prevalence settings and school-based nutrition programmes as cost-effective adolescent health investments.

Question 7

How does substance use start in adolescence?

Accepted Answer

Most substance use — tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs — begins during adolescence, when the brain's reward system is highly sensitive to addiction and the prefrontal cortex (governing impulse control) is still developing. Adolescents who begin smoking before age 15 are significantly more likely to be lifetime smokers. School-based substance use prevention programmes and restrictions on marketing to young people are evidence-based policy tools.

Question 8

What is adolescent immunisation?

Accepted Answer

Adolescence provides a critical immunisation opportunity — HPV vaccination (girls 9-14), booster doses (tetanus, diphtheria), meningococcal vaccination, and increasingly COVID-19. School-based immunisation platforms reach the highest coverage of any adolescent health intervention. WHO recommends using school contact points to deliver a health package including vaccinations, deworming, iron supplementation and vision screening.

Question 9

What is child marriage and early pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Child marriage — defined as formal marriage or informal union where either party is under 18 — affects approximately 12 million girls per year. Child brides face compounded risks: early pregnancy (the leading cause of death for girls aged 15-19), school dropout, domestic violence and social isolation. Child marriage disproportionately affects the poorest quintile and is perpetuated by gender norms, poverty and insecurity.

Question 10

How does violence affect adolescents?

Accepted Answer

Adolescents experience high rates of interpersonal violence — particularly bullying, peer violence and intimate partner violence among older adolescents. Sexual violence affects approximately 1 in 3 girls globally. Online violence and cyberbullying are growing rapidly. School-based violence prevention programmes addressing gender norms, social-emotional skills and bystander intervention are effective at reducing adolescent violence.

Question 11

What is the AA-HA! health package?

Accepted Answer

WHO's recommended adolescent health package includes: nutrition interventions (iron, folate, school meals); sexual and reproductive health (contraception, antenatal care); mental health (life skills, screening, referral); substance use prevention; injury prevention (helmets, road safety); HPV and other vaccinations; and school health promotion. Delivering this package through schools and community platforms at scale is the most equitable strategy for improving adolescent health.

Question 12

How does GMJ News cover adolescent health?

Accepted Answer

GMJ News covers WHO AA-HA! guidance, adolescent mental health data, HPV vaccination coverage, child marriage, adolescent nutrition and the global injury burden in young people. Adolescent health is directly relevant to PHIG's public health priorities and the Georgian Medical Journal, given Georgia's demographic profile and the importance of investing in the health of young generations.

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