Empowering Bangladesh’s Youth through Adolescent Health: Policy Brief

Adolescence is a dynamic period of biological development and social change, and also a period when adolescent girls are at risk of school dropout, early marriage, pregnancy, and gender-based violence. Adolescents have the highest unmet need for family planning in Bangladesh, and married adolescents have a significantly lower contraceptive prevalence rate than other age groups, leading to a high adolescent fertility rate. The Government of Bangladesh developed a national strategy for adolescent health 2017-2030 and a costed action plan to improve adolescent health, including sexual and reproductive health. The Strategy addresses overall health needs of adolescents, including menstrual hygiene management, prevention of violence and mental health. The Government of Bangladesh is currently implementing the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program which includes support for a school-based adolescent health and nutrition program. Furthermore, programme implementers often work in silos and focus on single platforms, i.e. at the health facility, school, or community levels. Presently adolescents receive sexual and reproductive health information and services largely from private sector providers with variable quality.