Engaging private sector for adolescent health service delivery in Asia and Pacific

Past project

There are almost one billion young people aged 10-24 years living in Asia and the Pacific, accounting for more than a quarter of the population in this region. These young people live in diverse socio-cultural and economic contexts, yet they share important challenges and opportunities related to their health and wellbeing.

Objective

Across the region poor sexual and reproductive health, mental health, injuries, poor nutrition, substance use, and risk factors for non-communicable diseases contribute to a significant and preventable burden of morbidity and mortality.

Many of these health priorities are amendable to preventive and treatment interventions delivered through the health system, however available evidence from the region indicates that young people face considerable unmet need for quality health services.

Legal and regulatory restrictions, socio-cultural barriers, financial constraints, inaccessible health facilities and inconvenient opening hours, and judgmental health worker attitudes are commonly reported by young people as significant barriers to accessing public sector health services.

Additionally, there is some evidence that young people seek a range of health information and services from non-public sector providers, such as private clinics, pharmacies, and non-traditional providers.

Timeline

2019–2020.

Approach

The aim of this research was to describe private sector engagement in adolescent health in East Asia and the Pacific, and identify opportunities for public-private partnerships to improve access to quality health services.

It included a review of current evidence, experience and best practice examples of private sector engagement in the region, and qualitative inquiries in Myanmar, Mongolia, and the Philippines with adolescents, private sector, government and UN agencies to identify opportunities and challenges to public-private partnerships.

Participatory workshops were also held in each country to develop key recommendations to strengthen private sector engagement in adolescent health.