Future Forward: Advancing Adolescent Data, Measurement, and Advocacy Gaps

Adolescence is a critical period of growth and opportunity, yet remains overlooked in many global health and development agendas. With 1.3 billion adolescents worldwide—representing one-sixth of the global population—ensuring their health and well-being is essential for achieving sustainable development. However, nearly one million adolescents die each year from preventable causes, mental health disorders are rising, and millions of girls in low- and middle-income countries face early pregnancy and maternal risks.

Despite strong evidence showing that investments in adolescent well-being deliver high returns, a lack of accountability mechanisms continues to hinder progress. This event, held on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), aims to elevate the urgency of integrating adolescent needs into national and global health priorities through stronger accountability frameworks. This will include the launch of tools such as the measurement guidance on adolescent health and well-being to identify adolescent health needs and prioritize actions and align policies accordingly, to identify data gaps and assess national progress.