Adolescents (people aged 10–24 years) are the future leaders of our world. Protecting their health is one of the strongest mechanisms we have to safeguard our collective future, ensure a more just society, and create a healthier and more productive planet.
Almost 10 years has passed since the first Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Despite some advancements in areas like reducing communicable, maternal, and nutritional diseases or the burden of disease and death from injuries among adolescents, there is still much to be done before the end of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) era in 2030.
This second Commission brought together a diverse group of 44 Commissioners from across continents, disciplines, and generations, including 10 youth Commissioners who co-led each program of work.
Questions this seminar will address:
- Where has progress been made and where has it stalled?
- What are some of the new drivers for adolescent health and wellbeing?
- What actions are required to advance adolescent health and wellbeing?
Speakers: Professor Susan Sawyer, Professor Sarah Baird and Surabhi Dogra
Professor Susan Sawyer AM holds the Geoff and Helen Handbury Chair of Adolescent Health at the University of Melbourne and is Director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital. A paediatrician by training, she is internationally recognised for her leadership in adolescent health.
Professor Sarah Baird is a Professor of Global Health and Economics and Vice Chair in the Department of Global Health in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Professor Baird is a development economist whose research focuses on the microeconomics of health and education in low- and middle-income countries with an emphasis on gender and youth. Professor Baird Co-Chaired the second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing.
Surabhi Dogra has a background in Social Work in Public Health and Mass Communications. She is passionate about harnessing health communications to address public health concerns. She has worked with adolescents, young people, children, and women in rural and urban low-income communities in India. Her current work entails raising awareness about environmental health issues in the country.
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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
