The health and well -being of young people around the world is at a turning point that will mark the next generations. The lack of financing, the absence of public policies, the change in consumption habits and the challenges caused by climate change, among others, have caused unequal care in the health of adolescents and the appearance of conditions related to obesity and global level. This is indicated by a study published by The Lancet Today Wednesday that includes the conclusions of the second commission on health and well -being of adolescents, the first to prioritize youth participation and that has involved young people from 36 countries to determine priorities and develop recommendations listening to the main affected.
By 2030 it is estimated that there will be 2,000 million adolescents in the world (between 10 and 24 years old). Of that total, more than half will live in countries where health problems known as HIV, early pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections will increase; But also and mental illnesses, such as depression or anguish caused by climate change. “, With mixed advances. While alcohol and tobacco consumption has decreased and access to education has increased, overweight and obesity have grown up to eight times in some countries in Africa and Asia in the last 30 years,” says the co -president of the commission, Sarah Baird, of the George Washington University of the United States.
The commission emphasizes that today’s adolescents are the first generation that grows in toughest climatic conditions, with the widespread presence of digital technologies and disproportionately face emerging threats for world health. “Without a specific action, more than half of the world’s teenagers will be at risk of having bad health,” Baird adds. Given these constantly evolving challenges, specialists are urgent to allocate sufficient budget to serve the population and to develop public policies. However, despite the fact that adolescents represent 25% of the world’s population and 9% of the disease load, they currently receive 2.4% of global aid, according to the study.
The Commission emphasizes that by 2030 young people will have a loss in healthy years of life due to the increase in mental disorders, a trend that has gone up after the pandemic and that is maintained due to the climatic emergency that the planet is experiencing. “The Covid 19 showed the mental health problems that young people face as a result of isolation, the interruption of schooling and the lack of social interaction,” says Baird. Now we know that the challenges faced by young people and adolescents run the risk of aggravating due to emerging problems such as climatic crisis, international conflicts and the rapid transition to a more digital world.
That constant anguish before an uncertain future has triggered the call, a feeling of fear of a cataclysm due to the impact of climate change. The Lancet It emphasizes that in 2100, about 1.9 million adolescents will suffer a temperature rise close to 2.8º which “will mean catastrophic health risks”, but also food insecurity due to the lack of water and food. “The young population will be the most affected because it has a greater life expectancy,” Corrobora María Pastor Valero, a professor of preventive medicine at Miguel Hernández de Elche University, outside this study. “Ruminant thoughts in the youth population, which in certain more vulnerable populations are very high, cause clinical depression, anxiety, insomnia and can cause posttraumatic stress for those who have lived in the first person the effects of climate change,” says Pastor Valero.
In its systematic review, the Lancet commission analyzed how climate change affects the mental health of adolescents and discovered that both quick -acting climatic disasters, such as hurricanes; As the slower effects, they contribute to mental health conditions. “There is no adolescent health without planetary health,” says South Surabhi Dogram, commissioner of youth in the commission that the study has conducted. Their participation and that of other young people have been fundamental to make this diagnosis. “It is urgent to invest in the future of adolescents. Adolescent workers in informal sectors, such as agriculture, continue to face exploitation and hazards for occupational health. We need to equip adolescents with skills and opportunities to obtain jobs in green and blue economies. Adopting an intergenerational approach is essential for a sustainable, equitable and healthy future,” says Dogra.
The Commission points out that the digital transition offers new opportunities for social interaction, education, employment and promotion of adolescents. However, many key social and emotional experiences now occur online, which generates concerns about the possible negative impact on its development and well -being. “The Commission also indicates areas that require more investigation, including. Commissioners recommend that it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons of social networks to ensure access while digital damage is prevented,” says dogra.
In that sense, experts need to grow the investment, public policies are created and the participation of government actors, private actors and the young people themselves of the affected regions themselves are encouraged. Something that the World Health Organization already warned last year. Its director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized that investing in the health of adolescents is both “a moral obligation and an economic need”, because not addressing these challenges “could result in serious consequences and growing costs for society.”
Surabhi Dograf shares some of the conclusions to which the working group reached and where the economic efforts of governments in the future could be focused. “We have identified solutions that require investments to improve mental health such as biodiversity exposure, which improves well -being and neurocognitive results of adolescents,” he says.
The study highlights that current financing for the health and well -being of adolescents in the world remains insufficient and poorly directed. Investments are as effective as in young children and are more beneficial than programs for adults, however, the lack of leadership and governance hinder progress. “We need to ensure that the voices of young people are part of the design of solutions from the beginning, thus guaranteeing their participation in the creation of public policies, its implementation, monitoring and evaluation,” concludes Sarah Baird.
