scholarly journals Easy Access to the Latest Global, Regional, and National Adolescent Health Data: The World Health Organization Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Ageing Data Portal

2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-245
Author(s):  
Regina Guthold ◽  
Valentina Baltag ◽  
Elizabeth Katwan ◽  
Gerard Lopez ◽  
Theresa Diaz ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Katwan ◽  
Geoffrey Bisoborwa ◽  
Betzabe Butron-Riveros ◽  
Sergei Bychkov ◽  
Kwami Dadji ◽  
...  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has collected information on policies on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) over many years. Creating a global survey that works for every country context is a well-recognized challenge. A comprehensive SRMNCAH policy survey was conducted by WHO from August 2018 through May 2019. WHO regional and country offices coordinated with Ministries of Health and/or national institutions who completed the questionnaire. The survey was completed by 150 of 194 WHO Member States using an online platform that allowed for submission of national source documents. A validation of the responses for selected survey questions against content of the national source documents was conducted for 101 countries (67%) for the first time in the administration of the survey. Data validation draws attention to survey questions that may have been misunderstood or where there was a lot of missing data, but varying methods for validating survey responses against source documents and separate analysis of laws from policies and guidelines may have hindered the overall conclusions of this process. The SRMNCAH policy survey both provided a platform for countries to track their progress in adopting WHO recommendations in national SRMNCAH-related legislation, policies, guidelines and strategies and was used to create a global database and searchable document repository. The outputs of the SRMNCAH policy survey are resources whose importance will be enriched through policy dialogues and wide utilization. Lessons learned from the methodology used for this survey can help to improve future updates and inform similar efforts.


Author(s):  
Pavel P. Shcherbinin ◽  
Nelli Yu. Bolshakova ◽  
Daria L. Simonova ◽  
Valeriia S. Malchikova

The World Health Organization, arguing for the need to invest in the health and development of adolescents, notes that its work helps to improve the health and well-being of millions of adolescents who experience problems such as depression, anemia, HIV infection, promotes the introduction of a healthy lifestyle, prevention of health problems that may occur in adulthood (for example, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer caused by low levels of physical activity and smoking, problems originating in adolescence). Investments in adolescent health will also prevent problems in the next generations, in particular, such as prematurity and low body weight in children born to very young mothers. Among the significant factors contributing to the achievement of low childbearing activity in adolescence, the low level of abortions and HIV infection among young people, the fact was especially emphasized that it is in these countries that parents and the public positively perceive the sexuality of young people, and sexual relations are considered a logical and natural continuation of a long-term relationship between a young man and a girl, a serious component of emotionally healthy adulthood. The sexual behavior of adolescents in developed European countries is primarily a matter of harmonious development and public health. Most adults do not consider adolescent sex an issue as long as the “rules of protected sex” are maintained. Experts of the World Health Organization, in cooperation with UNICEF headquarters, have developed an orientation program “Adolescent Health”. The presence of the phenomena of adolescent pregnancy and fertility, the negative consequences that may accompany these phenomena and the possibility of reducing their level indicate the need to develop appropriate programs, among which early pregnancy prevention programs should take an important place. Social readaptation of young mothers should take into account the following aspects: social, psycho-correctional, medical, career guidance, legal.


Author(s):  
Jeremy Youde

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa exemplifies both the successes and failures of global health governance as a secondary institution within international society. On the one hand, the international community recognized the need to respond to the Ebola outbreak, contributing large sums of money and mobilizing resources on a scale never before seen. On the other hand, the World Health Organization dithered in its response, the international community did not have quick and easy access to needed funding and personnel, and few states paid attention to the warnings coming from various non-governmental organizations that were providing on-the-ground medical services. This chapter critically analyses how various global health actors responded to the Ebola outbreak, discusses the shortcomings of that response, and looks at the various proposals to reform the World Health Organization and other bodies following their mishandling of the situation.


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