Editorial: Putting adolescents at the centre of health and development

摘要

Unprecedented momentum is gathering to put adolescents into the centre of global health policies. This opportunity has the potential not only to benefit young people directly but also to have wide-ranging effects on the health of adults and national economic development. The 45th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Population and Development, held in New York from April 23 to 26, has chosen Adolescents and Youth as its central theme. In the same week, UNICEF releases its report-Progress for Children: A Report Card on Adolescents-with data from developing countries. And The Lancet launches and publishes in this week's issue a Series of four papers analysing the role of adolescence as a foundation for future health, the social determinants of adolescent health, the potential of the worldwide application of prevention science, and the present availability of data on 25 proposed core indicators in all countries.