1.2m Adolescents Die Every Year

More than 3,000 adolescents die every day, totaling 1.2 million deaths a year, from largely preventable causes, according to a new report from the World Health Organization.

In 2015, more than two-thirds of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and South-East Asia. Road traffic injuries, lower respiratory infections, and suicide are the biggest causes of death among adolescents, the WHO reported.  “Adolescents have been entirely absent from national health plans for decades,” says Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO assistant director general. “Relatively small investments focused on adolescents now will not only result in healthy and empowered adults who thrive and contribute positively to their communities, but also result in healthier future generations, yielding enormous returns.”

In 2015, road injuries were the leading cause of adolescent death among 10-19 year-olds.

Suicide and accidental death from self-harm were the third cause of adolescent mortality in 2015, after lower respiratory infections and pregnancy complications. Self-harm largely occurs among older adolescents.