A groundbreaking global commission has sounded the alarm on the unprecedented health challenges confronting adolescents worldwide. Despite comprising nearly a quarter of the global population—approximately two billion people—this age group receives a mere 2.4 percent of worldwide health and development funding. The disparity between the scale of adolescent health needs and the allocated resources underscores a critical global health crisis with far-reaching implications. Experts from leading institutions, including the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), collaborated on this extensive investigation, published in the revered medical journal The Lancet, to provide an urgent call to action.
Adolescents today grapple with a complex and multifaceted constellation of health threats, notably poor mental health outcomes and rising obesity rates, which are exacerbated by intricate environmental, social, and commercial determinants. The report details the mounting prevalence of psychological stress and psychiatric disorders in young people, coupled with inadequate mental health infrastructure to provide timely and effective interventions. Compounding these challenges, the obesogenic environment—shaped by urbanization, unhealthy food marketing, and sedentary lifestyles—creates formidable barriers to achieving optimal physical health, setting the stage for a generation burdened with chronic diseases.
The digital era, while offering unprecedented connectivity and access to information, exposes adolescents to novel risks. The report highlights the pervasive threats posed by cyberbullying, digital misinformation, and insufficient protections against exploitation in online spaces. These digital hazards intersect with broader societal risks, such as exposure to violence, which remains alarmingly prevalent both within households and in conflict-affected regions. Nearly half of all adolescents have experienced some form of violence, a shocking statistic that reveals deep vulnerabilities in social structures and severely impairs their psychosocial development.
An especially troubling dimension of adolescent health highlighted by the Commission is the ongoing erosion of reproductive rights, disproportionately affecting young women. Despite global gains toward gender parity in secondary education, projections suggest that by 2030, nearly one-third of young women will be disengaged from post-secondary education, employment, or vocational training, perpetuating cycles of socioeconomic disadvantage and health inequities. These disparities are further intensified by the long-lasting fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted education, healthcare access, and social support systems critical to adolescent development.
Environmental imperatives loom large in the discourse on adolescent wellbeing. Climate change not only threatens physical health through increased exposure to extreme weather events, pollution, and vector-borne diseases but also exacerbates social determinants of health like poverty and housing insecurity. By 2050, urbanization trends are projected to concentrate 70 percent of the world’s adolescents in cities, many of which are expanding rapidly without adequate planning or infrastructure. This unchecked urban growth risks amplifying isolation, environmental degradation, and health disparities, underscoring the need for urban design that prioritizes adolescent-friendly public spaces that are safe, engaging, and conducive to healthy social interactions.
The 2025 Lancet Commission emphasizes that addressing adolescent health demands multisectoral strategies that span health, education, social policy, and community engagement. Implementation of evidence-based, targeted early interventions is crucial, particularly those incorporating youth perspectives to tailor initiatives that resonate with their lived experiences. Engaging adolescents as partners—not merely beneficiaries—in program design and policy advocacy fosters empowerment and ensures accountability, which the report identifies as pivotal to advancing sustained improvements in adolescent health outcomes.
Central to the proposed solutions is the scaling up of public health programs that address sexual and reproductive health, alongside robust measures to curb gender-based violence. These efforts must harmonize cross-sector collaborations and take advantage of emerging digital tools, while simultaneously implementing safeguards that limit harmful advertising exposure targeting adolescents. Encouraging healthy digital engagement is also a key lever to mitigate psychological harm and foster resilience among young people navigating increasingly complex social milieus.
This comprehensive call to action is backed by a global coalition including 44 Commissioners and 10 Youth Commissioners, with leadership from recognized experts such as Professor Peter Azzopardi of MCRI, who stresses the necessity for early, multi-sectoral partnerships combined with rigorous monitoring to ensure transparency in progress. Similarly, Professor Susan Sawyer underscores the critical need for national leadership and responsive health systems equipped to confidentially address adolescent-specific health concerns, dispelling the misconceptions that adolescents are universally healthy and do not require specialized services.
The report’s publication at the World Health Organization’s 78th Health Assembly in Geneva underscores its global significance, framing adolescent health as a linchpin for future economic prosperity and societal wellbeing. Investment in adolescent health is not merely a moral imperative but a foundational strategy for sustainable development, with profound implications for intergenerational health, productivity, and equity. The Commission’s recommendations call for intensified advocacy, innovative policy frameworks, and inclusive environmental programs that actively involve youth in tackling the determinants of their health.
In sum, this scientific evaluation delineates a clarion call to the international community: the time to invest decisively in adolescent health and wellbeing is now. Without transformative action, the burgeoning demographic will face compounded health adversities by 2030 and beyond, undermining decades of progress in global health and development. Realizing the full potential of this generation requires a paradigm shift that integrates adolescent voices, harnesses multisectoral expertise, and commits to sustained funding and policy support. The health trajectories established during adolescence will indelibly shape the social and economic contours of future societies, making this a pivotal moment for global investment in young people’s health.
Subject of Research: Adolescent Health and Wellbeing
Article Title: A Call to Action: The Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing
Web References:
- The Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing – DOI
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
References:
Sarah Baird, Shakira Choonara, Peter S Azzopardi, et al. (2025) ‘A call to action: the second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing,’ The Lancet. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00503-3
Keywords:
Adolescents, Mental Health, Obesity, Cyberbullying, Violence, Reproductive Rights, Climate Change, Urbanization, Public Health, Gender-based Violence, Youth Engagement, Health Policy
