Adolescence is a critical stage of life, encompassing crucial physical, cognitive and social development. Fundamental behaviors related to diet, exercise, alcohol and tobacco consumption, violence and sexual behavior are established during adolescence, profoundly influencing behaviors well into adulthood and subsequently impacting long-term health outcomes. Globally, adolescents suffer from high levels of deficiencies in macro- and micronutrients, leading to nutritional issues like anemia, underweight, stunting, obesity, all of which are risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. Additionally, common mental health disorders, trauma and injuries contribute substantially to the burden of poor health among adolescents. Supporting adolescents to develop healthy nutrition habits and health behaviors is critical to improving adolescent wellbeing and long-term health outcomes, educational achievement, and social and economic productivity.
The substantial health risks and disease burdens that adolescents in SSA face emphasizes the necessity for an innovative public health approach to promote healthy nutrition and health behaviors among adolescents. There is clear need for a comprehensive and synchronized approach that bridges research, practice, and policy. Recent global initiatives have recognized this importance. For example, the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and World Health Organization’s Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents guideline highlight the coordinated efforts to build evidence and translate it into practice and policies. Such initiatives to improve adolescent health and nutrition are helping to provide necessary evidence to develop policies and strategies on why and how to improve the health and nutrition status of adolescents in SSA. However, the need for robust research and evidence generation on adolescent health and nutrition in the SSA region still remains. We must continue to invest in and promote this important research, while harnessing existing evidence into actionable policies and programs on the ground.
The Africa Research, Implementation Science, and Education (ARISE) Network was established in 2014 in response to a clear and compelling need for greater, more sustainable public health capacity in Africa. A collaborative effort between leading African institutions, ARISE serves as a platform for robust research and cutting-edge education in the region. The Network is comprised of 21 member institutions from nine sub-Saharan African countries. Together, this group of distinguished colleagues is working toward advancing implementation science in priority research areas and developing the next generation of public health leaders in Africa.
This 5th Annual Scientific Symposium was officiated by Hon. Ummy Mwalimu the Tanzanian Minister of Heath, and attended by Dr. Michael A. Battle Sr., the US Ambassador to Tanzania, Prof. Mark Elliott - Vice Provost of International Affairs at Harvard University and Board Chairperson to Africa Academy for Public Health, Dr. Mahesh Swaminathan - Country Director, Center of Disease control and Prevention (CDC) Tanzania, Melissa McNeil-Barrett – UNFPA Deputy Representative, Prof. Ayoade Oduola from University of Ibadan Research Foundation only to mention a few.
It marked the launching of the calcium supplementation trial results as published in The New England Journal of Medicine recommending a 500mg calcium supplementation for pregnant women which is non-inferior to the WHO-recommended 1500mg daily dose. This may improve adherence and government costs without compromising health benefits. The trial was done in Tanzania by Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Africa Academy for Public Health, Ifakara Health Institute, and in India by St. John’s Research Institute, all in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The symposium provided an overview of ongoing initiatives promoting adolescent health and nutrition within and outside the ARISE Network. Through facilitated discussions, we examined how to improve adolescent health and nutrition in SSA by transforming empirical evidence into practice and policy. The conversation touched base on the importance of investing resources in adolescent health and nutrition as per their identified needs. Through this ARISE Network symposium, we engaged with multiple stakeholders, including academia, policymakers, government officials, donor agencies, and civil service representatives from Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ethiopia, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, and Spain.
