Adolescent health, maternal & child
health
Instructor :Shakina Sultana
Adolescent
• Adolescents – young people between the ages
of 10 and 19 years – are often thought of as a
healthy group(WHO)
Key adolescent health risks
The WHO describes the leading health related problems in the age group
10 – 19 years to include
I. Mental health problems including depression and suicide
II. Violence
III. Alcohol and other drugs
IV. Injuries both unintentional and self-injury
V. Malnutrition and obesity
VI. Early pregnancy and childbirth
VII.Tobacco use
VIII.HIV, Other infectious diseases
Mental health
• Depression is the 3rd leading cause of illness and
disability among adolescents
• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in older
adolescents (15–19 years).
• Violence, poverty, humiliation and feeling
devalued can increase the risk of developing
mental health problems.
Mental health
I. Building life skills in
children and
adolescents .
II. Providing them with
psychosocial support in
schools and other
community.
Tobacco use
The vast majority of people using
tobacco today began doing so
when they were adolescents.
• Prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors
• Increasing the price of tobacco products through higher
taxes,
• banning tobacco advertising and
• ensuring smoke-free environments
Alcohol & drugs
• Harmful drinking and drug
addiction among
adolescents is a major
concern in many countries.
• It reduces self-control and
increases risky behaviors,
such as unsafe sex or
dangerous driving, injuries
(including those due to
road traffic accidents),
violence (especially by a
partner)
Violence/Injuries:
• Injury :
In 2015 ,Road traffic injuries were the
leading cause of death.
• Violence :
is a leading cause of death in older adolescent
males. Globally, 1 in 10 girls under the age of 20
years report experiencing sexual violence
Drowning:
is also a major cause of death among adolescents
– 57 000 adolescents, two-thirds of them boys,
are estimated to have drowned in 2015.
Violence/injury / Alcohol &
drugs
Prevention :
Promoting nurturing relationships between parents and children
early in life
Providing training in life skills, and reducing access to alcohol can
help to prevent injuries and deaths due to violence. In Bangladesh, It
is illegal to have any measurable alcohol in the blood while driving.
Drug control may focus on reducing drug demand drug supply, or
both
Teaching children and adolescents to swim is an essential
intervention to prevent Drowning related deaths.
Malnutrition and obesity
Undernourished
Overweight or obese
Making them more vulnerable to disease and even
early death.
Exercise and
nutrition
Reducing the marketing
of foods high in
saturated fats, trans-
fatty acids, free sugars,
or salt and providing
access to healthy foods
60 minutes of moderate
to vigorous physical
activity daily.
Child marriage: A violation of the rights of girls
More than 140 million
girls will marry between 2011
and 2020 ,every day
most child marriages take place in
rural sub-Saharan Africa and
South Asia.
The 10 countries with the highest rates of child
marriage are:
1. Niger, 75%
2. Chad and Central African Republic, 68%
3. Bangladesh, 66%
4. Guinea, 63%
5. Mozambique, 56%
6. Mali, 55%
7. Burkina Faso and South Sudan, 52%
8. Malawi, 50%.
(WHO)
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health
Adolescent pregnancy
• Every year, an estimated 21 million
girls aged 15 to 19 years,
• 2 million girls aged under 15 years
become pregnant in developing
regions
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health :Early pregnancy and
childbirth
Early pregnancy or marriage, can cause
drop out of school .
unsafe abortions.
Complications from pregnancy and
childbirth:
A. eclampsia, and systemic infections
B. Babies born to adolescent mothers face
higher risks of low birth weight, preterm
delivery, and severe neonatal conditions
The leading cause of death for 15– 19-year-
old girls globally is complications from
pregnancy and childbirth.
