In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) released landmark guidance on the Global Standards for Quality Health Services and Core Competencies for Adolescent Health. But the world has since changed—adolescents face new challenges, new technologies like telehealth are reshaping care, and the push for rights-based, inclusive, and universal health coverage is stronger than ever.
This seminar will cover work from the WHO, the Centre for Adolescent Health (Melbourne), and the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) as they refreshed these standards for today’s world.
Join Dr Alice Morgan and Dr Alexandra Cussen as they take you behind the scenes of this global revision process and offer a first look at the soon-to-be-released updated guidance that will set the direction for adolescent health services in the years ahead.
Questions this seminar will address:
- What are the most important elements to consider when offering quality adolescent healthcare?
- What key elements of adolescent health and development must be included in adolescent training curriculum.
Speakers: Dr Alice Morgan and Dr Alexandra Cussen
Dr. Alice Morgan is a Global Health Fellow at the Centre for Adolescent Health within Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Melbourne Children’s Global Health, where she leverages nearly two decades of clinical psychology and research experience to advance adolescent mental health on a global scale. Her background spans major paediatric hospitals, international NGOs and private practice. Her research interests center on global mental health, with a particular passion for creating low resource, culturally adapted mental health interventions for regions lacking well-developed mental health infrastructure.
Dr. Alexandra Cussen is a paediatrician in the department of Adolescent Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Alex holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and is undertaking a PhD through the University of Melbourne. Alex had worked in medical writing and in policy, producing guidance and health curriculum documents and consumer-facing health resources with the World Health Organisation, the Royal Australian College of Physicians and the RCH.
Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm AEST
Date: Thursday, 11 September 2025
Register here.
Advancing Adolescent Health in the Asia Pacific: A virtual community to share knowledge and support collaboration
Despite one in two of the world’s adolescents living in the Asia-Pacific region, adolescent health is a relatively new field of endeavour in Australia as well as the region. It is a field that spans policy makers from multiple sectors, researchers from different disciplines, and practitioners working in health services, schools and communities and encompasses a multitude of health topics and concerns. Despite this, there are few opportunities to come together to share, showcase and build capacity to improve adolescent health and wellbeing in the region.
This seminar series aims to provide opportunities for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, implementers, young advocates – indeed, anyone interested in the health and wellbeing of adolescents – to enhance their understanding of adolescent health and wellbeing, with a focus on research.
This series is supported by the Centre of Research Excellence for Driving Global Investment in Adolescent Health. Led by a team at the Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, it brings together leading Australian research groups including the University of Melbourne, Burnet Institute, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland, University of South Australia, and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
Read more about the series here
