Adolescent & Youth-Friendly Health Services (AYFHS): Implementation and Research

This approach provides a guide on how to provide responsive sexual reproductive health (SRH) services to adolescents and young people based on an understanding of what young people want in a particular society or community. Adolescent and youth-friendly health services (AYFHS) must be offered in an environment where service providers are non-judgmental and considerate in their dealings with adolescents and youth, have competencies needed to deliver youth-responsive SRH services, and where health facilities are equipped to provide adolescents and youth with services they need and commodities that they want in an appealing and friendly manner.

The Importance of Youth-Responsive Care

There is growing recognition of the importance to overcome the individual, socio-cultural and systemic barriers adolescents and youth face in accessing and utilizing SRH services. Thus, in order for adolescents and youth to achieve their full potential, they need to be provided with opportunities to live in a safe and supportive environment, acquire accurate information and values about health and development needs, and build life skills they need to protect and safe guard their health. Lessons from adolescent health fields suggest that adolescent mortality causes, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), are largely preventable and treatable.

Strategic Objectives for Service Delivery

This tool will help in:

• Implementing quality SRH services to meet the needs of adolescents and young people
• Strengthening the capacity of service providers in providing SRH information and services to adolescents and youth
• Ensuring appropriate, comprehensive, and effective SRH services are provided in an accessible, acceptable, and equitable manner
• Supporting both utilization and provision of AYFHS services

Capacity Building and Provider Training

The workforce is at the heart of every service delivery setting and certain youth-friendly competencies are essential for effective services. Health care providers should be trained to work competently, sensitively and respectfully with adolescents and young people on their sexual and reproductive health needs. To make sure that the service providers are equipped with skills and have the right attitude to provide services, local governments have trained and oriented over 1,850 providers since 2018 to-date. The main objective of the training was to address and overcome provider bias in providing youth with SRH services.

Research Evidence from LMICs

Adolescents comprise one-sixth of the world’s population, yet there is no clear understanding of the features that promote adolescent-friendly services (AFS). A scoping review of peer-reviewed empirical studies to explore AFS in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) published between January 2000 and December 2022 identified the key components, barriers and facilitators. Our review findings are that AFS is about fostering a welcoming and non-judgmental environment, providing culturally appropriate and responsive services, and focused support for marginalised communities. These services need strong and well-planned mental and behavioral health strengthening within LMICs to empower adolescents and youth.