A high level event on a “Call to Action for a Better Adolescent and Youth Health” took place today. The initiative which was spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Health engaging UNFPA and other partners recommitted for the betterment of adolescent and youth health in Ethiopia.

Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Dr. Amir Aman, Minister of Health, said that the Government of Ethiopia is aware that the country could only reap the dividends of the demographic transition it is passing through given that appropriate policies and inclusive actions are put in place for the betterment of the health, education, and employment opportunities of adolescents and youth.

“The government of Ethiopia has made a bold commitment to respond to the health and development needs of young people. Adoption of a national youth policy, and youth development packages more than a decade ago, along with implementation of several youth focused interventions, are some of the testimonies of such commitment,” the Minister added.

The event served as an occasion to disseminate the ‘Baseline Statistics on the National Adolescent and Youth Health Strategy’ that is technically and financially supported by UNFPA. A presentation was made on the contents of the document by Population Council which undertook its development. This document – developed with the support of generous funding from the Royal Norwegian Embassy – took stock of the status of adolescents and youth in Ethiopia to better inform the implementation of the National Adolescent and Youth Health Strategy.

The National Adolescent and Youth Health Strategy pursues the main objective of improving the health and wellbeing of adolescents and youth by reducing preventable causes of mortality and morbidity, committing to address sexual and reproductive health, substance abuse, communicable and non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and injuries.

The Minister of Health made a call to other sectoral ministries, development partners, partners, and youth organizations to commit to step up their actions to achieve targets on the betterment of the health and well-being of adolescents and youth.