Uniting for adolescents in covid-19 and beyond

The current generation of adolescents is the largest ever, with 1.2 billion people aged 10-19 years worldwide. They are at risk of inheriting a world blighted by climate change and scarred by covid-19. Although they have been spared the most severe direct effects of the pandemic, the indirect effects on their wellbeing are devastating.12 Many adolescents are experiencing disruptions to their access to health, education, and preventive services, and the pandemic has further exacerbated inequalities.1 The pandemic is changing everything for adolescents and youth, as they experience the transitions that will define their future wellbeing: completing education, moving into the workforce, and forming life partnerships. Even before covid-19, adolescents and young adults faced multiple and intersecting challenges to their wellbeing. These challenges include social injustice and inequalities (such as those related to gender, gender identity, and inclusion), insufficient social protection, inadequate mental health, poor sexual and reproductive health, and an inability to exercise their rights resulting in unintended pregnancies, HIV, and all forms of malnutrition. Adolescents and young adults are also experiencing a crisis of connection to family, community, and society, with increasing …