In 2021, 13.6% of the population in Mauritius were adolescents (10-19 years of age). Repeated behavioural surveys have shown that there has not been any significant improvement in the health behaviours of adolescents in Mauritius. The government also recognizes that structural poverty, lack of access to information and services, negative social norms, inadequate education, social discrimination, child marriage, and insufficient attention to vulnerable and disabled adolescents pose serious barriers to achieving their full potential. This is why the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MHW), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, and other ministries, is developing the National Strategy for Adolescent Health 2023-2027.
WHO Mauritius country office, with technical support from the Regional Office for Africa and the Adolescent and Young Adult Health unit of the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health and Ageing is providing technical assistance to the MHW and is facilitating a policy dialogue between various stakeholders on the finalization of the strategy. On April 6-17 2023, a training session was held to review the strategy, share key findings with stakeholders and present key recommendations from the WHO Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents: guidance for country implementation.
Providers' capacity is key for the successful implementation of the strategy. This is why technical assistance was sought from WHO to organize a master training for a pool of resource persons in Mauritius in providing adolescent-responsive services. The two weeks training session that took place from 6-17 April 2023 is an important investment in building leadership and providers' capacity in adolescent health and well-being. Participants benefited from learning about the guidance document that covers a range of issues spanning policy and strategy development, research, norms and standards, training packages, and advocacy material. In addition, the guidance document addresses the multifaceted needs of the global adolescent population across key priorities such as mental health, SRH, NCDs prevention, and substance use, among others.
