Strengthening Outcomes in Global Health, Economic Growth and Security, Stability and Peacebuilding Through Investing in Youth

Evidence on youth impact:
strengthening global health outcomes through investing in youth

Young people aged 10 to 29 years face unique and detrimental health risks due to rapid changes in brain development, puberty, increasing risk taking, and sexual activity. These changes have health consequences, not only in the transition to adulthood, but also over the life course. Yet young people are often ill informed about the consequences of excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, and sexual relations. They also often face mental health issues, lack access to services and face stigma, restrictive gender norms and other barriers to healthy behaviors and wellbeing. The disease burden between childhood and adulthood shifts during adolescence—for example, sexual and reproductive health problems, mental illness and injuries increase.  In addition, a lack of youth-friendly services means that many young people die from largely preventable diseases as well as from non-communicable diseases. Despite major successes in infant, child and adult health, adolescent mortality has only marginally improved.

The attached document shows how evidence on how educating young people improves health outcomes for individuals and their families, and how social behavior change among young people can prevent the spread of diseases and promote positive behavior across generations.

Evidence on youth impact: strengthening security, stability and peacebuilding through investments in youth

The likelihood of violence is often linked to young people’s access to education, employment and sense of exclusion, indicating that failure to address the needs of young people may expose a country to greater risks of conflict emerging.

The attached document shows evidence on how addressing the needs of young people can reduce the likelihood that they will engage in violence and how young people can play a positive role in peace and security.

Evidence on youth impact: strengthening economic growth through investments in youth

Countries that produce a skilled, healthy and productive workforce are better positioned in the global economy to achieve economic prosperity, political stability and social wellbeing. Investing in young people is important both because they make up a substantial share of the population of developing countries (youth bulge) and because enormous economic potential (youth dividend) can be realized through their full and productive employment in the workforce. Investing in youth is considered smart economics. Given the cumulative nature of human development, under-investments in youth are difficult to reverse later and can be passed on to the next generation. Failing to invest in youth risks economic costs resulting from negative outcomes such as early school drop-out, young people trapped in unskilled, low paid jobs, high levels of underemployment, prolonged unemployment, substance abuse and crime and violence.

The attached document shows evidence as to how investing in young people can increase economic growth and prosperity

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