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The World Health Organization’s work on adolescent sexual and reproductive health

Die Arbeit der Weltgesundheitsorganisation auf dem Gebiet der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit von Jugendlichen

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Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz Aims and scope

Abstract

This paper examines the contribution of the World Health Organization to the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) from the early 1980s to the present. It is based on published documents and on the experiences of WHO staff members who have been part of much of this journey. It recalls the responses of the organization to the (then) new HIV/AIDS pandemic and to the first calls for a global public health response to early pregnancy. It also highlights selected milestones in the organization’s work in the ASRH field over the last 25 years. It concludes with an analysis of where the ASRH field stands today and what the organization is doing to strengthen the epidemiologic and evidence base for action, to build consensus and coordination, and most importantly to support country level action, in cooperation with organizations within and outside the United Nations system. In defining its niche in a rapidly evolving and increasingly crowded field, the WHO’s mission on ASRH is to contribute to a world in which the importance of ensuring the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents is understood, accepted, and acted upon by adolescents themselves, by their families and communities, by the workforces of different sectors, by civil society bodies, and by leaders and decision makers.

Zusammenfassung

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Rolle der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) zum Thema sexuelle und reproduktive Gesundheit von Jugendlichen („adolescent sexual and reproductive health“, ASRH) von den frühen 1980er-Jahren bis heute. Er basiert auf veröffentlichten Dokumenten sowie auf den Erfahrungen von WHO-Mitarbeiter(inne)n, die diese Entwicklung begleitet haben. Er erinnert an die Reaktion der Organisation auf die (damals) neue HIV/Aids-Pandemie und an die ersten Rufe nach einer globalen Antwort der Gesundheitspolitik auf Teenagerschwangerschaften. Zugleich beleuchtet er ausgewählte Meilensteine der Arbeit der WHO zur ASRH in den letzten zweieinhalb Jahrzehnten. Der Artikel schließt mit einer Analyse der aktuellen Situation und zeigt auf, was die WHO heute tut, um die epidemiologische Datenbasis als Handlungsgrundlage zu stärken, um Konsens und Koordination aufzubauen und – am allerwichtigsten – um Aktionspläne der einzelnen Länder in Zusammenarbeit mit Organisationen sowohl innerhalb als auch außerhalb des UN-Systems zu unterstützen. Die WHO definiert ihre Nische in einem sich rasch fortentwickelnden und wachsenden Themenkomplex und sieht ihre Aufgabe darin, zum Aufbau einer Welt beizutragen, in der die Bedeutung der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit von Jugendlichen nicht nur verstanden und akzeptiert, sondern auch als Anlass zum Handeln begriffen wird. Dies gilt für die Jugendlichen selbst ebenso wie für ihre Familien und ihr gesellschaftliches Umfeld, für die Fachleute der verschiedensten Sektoren, für die Gremien der Zivilgesellschaft sowie für Führungspersönlichkeiten und Entscheidungsträger.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states the following: All three authors are staff members of the WHO and are strong believers in the vision and mission of the WHO.

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Correspondence to V. Chandra-Mouli.

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WHO uses the term“adolescent” to denote individuals between 10 and 19 years and the term“young people” to denote those between 10 and 24 years.

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Chandra-Mouli, V., Bloem, P. & Ferguson, J. The World Health Organization’s work on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Bundesgesundheitsbl. 56, 256–261 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-012-1606-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-012-1606-0

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