[The health of adolescents in Switzerland]

The available data on adolescent health, weather statistics of mortality, hospital-based information or the one originating from health survey identify five main sources of concern: mental health problems, intentional and unintentional violence, chronic conditions including obesity and eating disorders, and negative consequences linked with risky sexual behavior and substance misuse. The responses to these issues lie in two ares, the one of health care and the one of prevention/health promotion. Access to health care must be improved, using the adolescent friendly framework, which stresses the importance of accessibility, flexibility, network approaches and effectiveness. Preventive activities encompass not only mere information in specific areas such as sexuality or psychoactive substance, but must also address the acquisition of life skills as well as the improvement of the environment. Structural measures such as the ones governing traffic of vehicles, those impacting on the school climate or those involving community health measures targeting vulnerable population have proven effective.