Academic Journal
Meeting the challenges to adolescent well-being: context, returns on investment, and financing.
| Τίτλος: | Meeting the challenges to adolescent well-being: context, returns on investment, and financing. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Sheehan P; Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia., Rasmussen B; Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia., Ross DA; Stellenbosch University, Institute for Life Course Health Research, Im Kloster 28, 76332 Bad Herrenalb, Germany., Mohan A; World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Office, Family and Gender Health, World Health House, Indraprastha Estate, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110 002, India., Sawyer S; Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.; Geoff and Helen Handbury Chair of Adolescent Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia., Nandini B; Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, 20, Avenue Appia, Geneva 1211, Switzerland., Singh L; The RHR Africa Trust, 225 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa., Sweeny K; Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia., Symons J; Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia., September R; Accelerated Programme of Action for Children, The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, Union Buildings, Government Street Arcadia, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. |
| Πηγή: | Health policy and planning [Health Policy Plan] 2026 Sep 30; Vol. 41 (Supplement_2), pp. ii18-ii28. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Oxford University Press in association with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8610614 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1460-2237 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 02681080 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Health Policy Plan Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: [Oxford] : Oxford University Press in association with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, c1986- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Adolescent Health*/economics , Investments*/economics, Humans ; Developing Countries ; South Africa ; Adolescent ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; India ; Colombia ; Adolescent Development |
| Περίληψη: | Adolescents in many countries face serious challenges in realizing the level of well-being that is their human right. Many factors-deep-seated inequality within and between countries, rapid change in skill requirements for employment, climate change, and social media-are driving these deepening challenges. This paper develops three points about the need for an urgent response to this situation. First, there is now evidence that a powerful suite of cost-effective investments is available to improve adolescent well-being. To support this claim, we draw on recent modelling of investments for many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as on detailed case studies of three countries (India, South Africa, and Colombia). In all these studies, most of the investments are highly cost-effective, with benefit-cost ratios over 6, and in many cases much higher. However, the cost of these investments is substantial, especially for those that involve the education system, raising major financing issues for most countries. Second, the case studies highlight, at least for South Africa and Colombia, the extent to which within-country inequality harms adolescent development. For example, if school quality is poor for low-income groups or regions, schooling can perpetuate rather than arrest inequality, which in turn can lead to disruptive violence for these groups or regions. Third, countries with limited fiscal space, high debt levels, and inequality and violence curtailing growth rates will find it hard to fund the investments needed to transform adolescent well-being. Major reforms to development finance are necessary, such as those outlined at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development at Seville in mid-2025, as well as changes to the priority given to domestic investments. Steps to reduce income inequality by new fiscal measures are also important, to fund the investments in adolescent well-being and to make them more effective. (© World Health Organization, 2026.) |
| Competing Interests: | Conflicts of interest: All authors declare no competing interests or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. |
| Grant Information: | 2022/1310680-0 Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Victoria University; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: adolescent well-being; benefit-cost ratio (BCR); economic modelling; health and education; human capital; low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260930 Date Completed: 20260930 Latest Revision: 20260930 |
| Update Code: | 20261001 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/heapol/czag083 |
| PMID: | 42815151 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1460-2237 |
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| DOI: | 10.1093/heapol/czag083 |