Children and the youth, particularly adolescents, are the future and therefore present both challenges and opportunities for addressing current and future health issues. This particular population group has shown deteriorating health indicators over the last five to ten years in terms of behavior change towards HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, early sexual debut, unplanned pregnancies, high fertility, increased smoking habits, drugs and substance abuse, worsening perceptions about gender violence and unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles in general. The youth is one of the key affected population groups as most of their sexual reproductive
health indicators are either deteriorating or remain high. The adolescent fertility rate in 2019 was estimated at 175 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years (MICS 2019).