JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY AND DENTAL MEDICINE (ISSN:2517-7389)

The aim of this paper is to analyze the health statuses of children and young people, causes of their health challenges, and how this status can be improved. Many young people and children lose their lives each year, also We are going also to take a look at the incidence of some life threatening disease in children and young adults such as malnutrition, HIV, early pregnancy, material abuse and mental health. These illnesses prevent the development of these young people to their full capability. The health sector, the government, and society as a whole should undertake the responsibility of saving young people. Policies should be developed that assist in ensuring good health status of youths and children.  

The majority of young people are healthy. Nevertheless, more than one million eight hundred thousand young people of age between fifteen and twenty-four lose their lives each year. A more significant number of children and adolescents also suffer from disorders that hinder their growth ability. These illnesses deter the development of these young people to their full capability. In other cases, some young people get involved with activities that end up jeopardizing their health either immediately or in the future. In estimation, a third of the total disease problems among adults and two-thirds of deaths that happen prematurely are as a result of behaviors or conditions that were experienced at a young age. Some of these behaviors include exposure to violence, unprotected sex, lack of physical activity, and the use of tobacco. This essay will, in more in-depth detail, analyze the health statuses of children and young people, causes of their health challenges, and how this status can be improved. 

Approximately sixteen million of girls between fifteen and nineteen years give birth each year. Preventable causes cause the majority of deaths experienced by young people. According to statistics collected 2008 by the World Health Organization, young people between the age of fifteen and twenty-four were responsible for 40% of all new infections of HIV/AIDS among grown people Kieling et al. [1]. Twenty percent of the adolescent age suffers from mental health illnesses in a year. The most common mental health issues among this age include anxiety and depression. Road accidents cause the deaths of one thousand youngpeople every day. Interpersonal violence causes approximately six hundred young people between the ages of ten and twenty-nine every day Pilling et al. [2]. About one hundred and fifty million young people use tobacco. To prevent common adulthood health problems, it is critical to promote healthy practices during a young age. The future of a society’s health and social infrastructure should be secured through the protection of the young generation from health risks. As advised by the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children in the year 2002, the promotion of physical and mental health among young people and children is crucial Viner et al. [3]. National programs and health policies concerning the young people were recognized, including indicators and goals for the promotion of the general health status of young people. 

Health problems are affecting children and young people.

Undernourishment is a significant problem among young people. The majority of the children in the developed states enter the adolescence stage undernourished. Malnutrition makes young people more at risk of contracting diseases and also leads to early deaths. Malnutrition is also common in developing countries, especially the regions affected by drought and poverty Bradshaw, [4], furthermore The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that malnutrition accounts for 54 percent of child mortality worldwide,which is1 million per year, besides that WHO stated that underweight is the cause of death in 35% of those children who die from malnutrition, researchers such as Kandala [5] andNayak [6] concluded similar results . Both developed and developing countries are challenged by overweight and obesity, which is also a form of malnutrition. Obesity cases has become increasingly common among children and young people Biddle and Asare, [7], Also the WHO stated that “Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 has risen dramatically from just 4% in 1975 to just over 18% in 2016” in addition to its financial implications are long term for health systems. Obesity has more grief consequences that it is assumed. The foundations for a healthy adult life trickle from physical exercises, healthy diets, and adequate nutrition during the young age Hallam, [8]. Nutrition issues should also be prevented through provision micronutrient supplementation, food, and advice to early pregnant women. The healthcare system should be able to detect problems like anemia quickly when they arise.The following chart compares between the percentage of Overweight, underweight and normal children- young adults, according to different researchers such as: -Giugliano [9]and De Henauw, et al.[10](Figure 1). According to the chart more than 30% ofchildren and young adultsdo suffer from malnutrition, both (over and underweight)

Two thousand five hundred young people worldwide get infected with HIV every day. More than five million and seven hundred thousand young people live with the virus. Young people must become knowledgeable of the different ways of contracting HIV and how to avoid them. Today, only nineteen percent of girls and thirty percent of boys have the comprehensive and precise knowledge of the protection ways from HIV Sawyer et al. [11]. Failure to use condoms has been the most significant cause of the menace. The use of infected syringes to inject drugs has also contributed to the high cases of HIV infection among young people. One of the ways of curbing the spread of the disease is the provision of better access to HIV testing and counseling. This will assist people in realizing the status hence seeking immediate healthcare and limiting further spread of the disease. Different current prevention strategies has been invented, for instance, the Pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs (or PrEP) that are taken daily when one is at the risk of getting infected Ruiz, et al. [12]. Such prevention strategies are crucial since the economic, cultural, and social conditions are increasing the dangers of young people contracting the virus(Figure 2).

Eleven percent of all births globally are done by girls of fifteen to nineteen years of age. Eleven percent refers to approximately sixteen million girls. Developing countries provide the vast majority of early pregnancies. Desolately, a girl in her adolescence is usually at a higher risk of having baby delivery complications that, at the time lead to death. The risk applies less to older women. The risk  of death during delivery increases with the younger the adolescent. The government and society should take responsibility for fighting early marriages, sexual harassment among young people, and early pregnancies Gulliver, et al. [13]. The governments ought to formulate and enforce laws that highlight the minimum age that a person can get married. Society ought to support these rules and protect their young girls and boys. The access to contraceptive information and services is crucial in both developed and developing countries to curb the early pregnancies menace. Skilled birth attendance and quality antenatal care should be provided to the girls who become pregnant to reduce the risks of death during delivery. In states where the law permits, the adolescents who decide to terminate their prenatal period should be provided with safe abortion(Figure 3).

In many countries, hazardous drinking and the use of tobacco among young people has become an increasing concern. Excessive use of alcohol increases the chances of young people involving in risky behaviors and reduces self-control. Many cases of extreme injuries, including those caused by road traffic accidents and violence have been influenced by alcohol, and many of them have caused premature deaths Sawyer, et al. [11]. Some of the ways that the use of alcohol among young people can be regulated include regulating its access and banning alcohol advertising. The families and society should also intervene with advice and counseling to young people who have been involved in alcohol-related issues. Many users of tobacco started it at their adolescent age. Globally, one hundred and fifty young people use tobacco MacDonald, et al. [14]. The number is vastly increasing, mainly due to more girls getting involved in the practice. As okay as it seems, it is devastating that half of them will die prematurely due to its consumption. Young people should be advised to quit smoking since it is tough to stop at a later age. The use of tobacco among young people can be curbed through an increase in its price, banning tobacco advertising, and setting rules prohibiting smoking in public areas. The production of tobacco should also be reduced and regulated. The following chart shows an interesting study performed by NIH in 2015 which gave numbers of 7.7 million young people ages 12–20 reported that they drank alcohol beyond “just a few sips” in the past month, and a study done in the USA shows the following (Figure 4& 5).

Statistics show that at least twenty percent of young people suffer from mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health issues among adolescents Priest et al. [15]. The risks of experiencing depression are increased by poverty, suicide, devaluation, humiliation, violence experiences, and sexual harassment Inchley and Currie, [16]. Suicide is one of the leading reasons for premature deaths. Mental health growth among young people can be promoted through the provision of psychosocial support at home, schools, and other community settings. Health workers should work competently to discover and manage arising issues of mental health. The building of life skills among young people can also reduce the risk of a mental health crisis[17-19].

Young people are the future of the universe. They should hence be protected against all calamities that cause a risk of eliminating them. The health sector, the government, and society as a whole should undertake the responsibility of saving young people. Policies that assist in fulfilling the rights of young people to health should be developed. All sectors should be engaged for complementary contributions towards improving the young people heath and reducing premature deaths. UN agencies and the health organizations ought to make a sustained and comprehensive effort that will deliver results across the critical health issues discussed in the paper.

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