Young people's health in developing countries: a neglected problem and opportunity

Although the number of young people in developing countries is increasing, their health has not been considered a priority. This is partly because of their lower mortality relative to other age groups, but also because of a lack of appropriate data collection and analysis. However, the burden of disease in young people is not trivial, and most importantly, it is during adolescence that long-term health-related behaviours are formed. Most research investigating health problems in young people has tended to concentrate on a narrow conception of problem areas, such as those relating to reproduction and substance abuse. However, in many developing countries diseases such as schistosomiasis and intestinal parasites may also have a disproportionate impact on young people's health. Young people often have radically different perceptions and priorities in terms of health and disease to those of health planners. Successful programmes will need to incorporate the views of young people themselves. Interventions targeted at young people have enormous potential for primary and secondary prevention of a huge range of health problems and present an opportunity that should not be ignored.