The RCH Centre for Adolescent Health (CAH) has been announced as a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Adolescent Health.

WHO collaborating centres are institutions designated by the WHO Director-General to carry out activities in support of the Organisation’s programmes.

“This builds on about a 15 year history of collaboration between a number of different researchers and clinicians at the Centre for Adolescent Health, and comes at a particularly exciting time in global adolescent health.” CAH Director Professor Susan Sawyer said. “Interestingly, we are the only collaborating centre in adolescent health that is not based in Europe.”

There are no specific funds that come with this appellation. However, the status it offers can be seen as an opportunity to raise funds to undertake work of mutual advantage.

“The work plan is developed each year,” Susan explained. “In some ways, what has been proposed to date simply formalises what we have already been providing to WHO over many years, namely high level expertise and advice.”

This includes chairmanship of various Geneva based committees, including their major scientific advisory committee, and a committee set up to establish a shortlist of global indicators for adolescent health.

The CAH has also contributed to recent WHO reports such as ‘Health for the World’s Adolescents: 2nd chance for the second decade’, published in 2014, and ‘Core Competencies on Adolescent Health and Development for Primary Care Providers, published earlier this year.