Adolescent health in a globalised world: a picture of health inequalities.

More than half of the world's population of 6 billion people is under age 25 years. Of the estimated 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide (1 in every 5 people is an adolescent), about 85% live in developing countries and the remainder in the industrialised world. Changing social, political, and economic realities are having a major and dramatic impact on young people and their families. In this context, however, the health of young people in developing countries has been largely ignored. Of particular concern are the implications of poverty, health inequality, gender discrimination, economic instability, and political unrest. These troubling dimensions create scenarios that challenge paediatricians and other health workers to become more active and courageous as advocates for the health rights and health care of young people. In this chapter, we outline and describe some of the key issues involved, recognise a number of initiatives being undertaken, and propose additional measures for consideration.

Duke Scholars

Author Eric Leo Eisenstein Medicine, Cardiology