A recent report says world leaders will lose $110 trillion between 2024 and 2025 if investment in programmes targeted at improving adolescent welfare is not increased.The report was commissioned by The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, working with the Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies of Victoria University in Australia, the World Health Organisation , the United Nations Children Fund , and the United Nations Population Fund .
The report named adolescent pregnancy, mental health issues, suicide, road injuries, and drowning as some of the leading causes of death globally.The report quoted WHO as saying “over 1.5 million adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 died in 2024, or about 4,500 daily”. “Approximately 12 million girls aged 15–19 years and at least 777,000 girls aged under 15 years give birth each year in developing regions, with complications during pregnancy and childbirth the leading cause of death for 15–19-year-old girls globally.“Globally, one-fifth of young people aged 15 –24 are not in employment, education, or training , with young women being twice as likely as young men to have this status.