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Resolution 2284 (2019)
Addressing the health needs of adolescents in Europe
1. The Parliamentary Assembly recalls
that health is a human right and that appropriate health services
for every age group are an essential element of cohesive and democratic
societies. It reaffirms its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable
Development Agenda 2030, including Goal 3 – Ensure healthy lives
and promote well-being for all at all ages.
2. The Assembly recognises that the health of adolescents, namely
10- to 19-year-olds, is an important area of development, embracing
issues of inequality, gender, economic status, race, ethnicity,
religion, sexuality and physical and mental ability. It is during
adolescence that behaviours are shaped and the foundations for healthy
lifestyles are laid.
3. The Assembly notes that addressing violence is an essential
dimension of health, and reaffirms its commitment to the Council
of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation
and Sexual Abuse (CETS No. 201, “Lanzarote Convention”), the Council
of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
(CETS No. 197) and the Convention on Cybercrime (ETS No. 185), and
the Council of Europe “Start to Talk” Campaign for the protection
of children against sexual abuse in sport.
4. The Assembly acknowledges that the participation of adolescents
in decisions about relevant health policies is important in order
to meet their needs and develop efficient health systems. The Guidelines
of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on child-friendly
health care and other tools developed in the framework of the Council
of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child “Building a Europe
for and with Children” and of youth and education programmes provide
useful guidance on how this could be done.
5. In the light of the above, the Parliamentary Assembly recommends
that the Council of Europe member States:
5.1. with respect to health services:
5.1.1. promote
the need for a focus on adolescent health through funding for services
and advocacy;
5.1.2. ensure that services for young people are accessible,
free, inclusive, timely, welcoming, confidential and non-punitive;
5.1.3. ensure that there are sufficient highly trained members
of staff to advise and support adolescents who need help;
5.1.4. recognise that adolescents may have general as well as
specific health concerns, and provide services (such as health hubs)
where adolescents can receive advice covering a variety of health
issues;
5.1.5. recognise that some adolescents are particularly vulnerable
to health disorders – for example those in the criminal justice
system, migrants, refugees, those who are physically or mentally
disabled, and those not in education or training;
5.2. with respect to research:
5.2.1. encourage further
research into the needs of adolescents;
5.2.2. recognise the “life course” of health and address each
phase with equal vigour in research, information and services;
5.3. with respect to government and local authorities:
5.3.1. ensure that co-ordination across government departments
and in local structures is established or reinforced in order to
ensure holistic action on adolescent health;
5.3.2. take policy measures to regulate food and drinks industries
with a view to promoting healthy diets among adolescents through:
5.3.2.1. restrictions on marketing, advertising and sponsorship
for food and drinks that are high-energy, low-nutrient or have high
sugar, salt or fat content;
5.3.2.2. adoption of the “traffic light” rating system for food
and drinks;
5.3.2.3. further development of fiscal incentives and disincentives,
such as taxes on sugar, tobacco and alcohol;
5.3.2.4. increased powers for local authorities to control the
implementation of relevant food and drink policies;
5.3.3. support participation of adolescents, and the communities
in which they live, in influencing decisions about health services
and involve them at national and local level through local and regional
authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and children’s commissioners;
5.4. with respect to other actors in the health field:
5.4.1. harness the media, including social media and advertising,
to provide encouragement to the public, including adolescents, to
develop healthy lifestyles;
5.4.2. encourage industries and the private sector to collaborate
with good practices in health initiatives and in relation to sponsorship,
advertising and research;
5.4.3. ensure that NGOs working with adolescents have sufficient
financial and other support and that they are consulted when local
and national policies on health are being developed;
5.4.4. ensure that parents and carers are involved, where appropriate,
in developing interventions to help the adolescents in their charge;
5.4.5. involve adolescents themselves in the design of services
catering to their needs, where possible;
5.5. with respect to schools and colleges:
5.5.1. ensure
that schools and colleges have access to counsellors, nurses and
doctors who have specialist knowledge of adolescents;
5.5.2. ensure that the school and college curriculum includes
mandatory personal, social and health education, including comprehensive
sexuality education, so as to empower adolescents to make informed
choices;
5.5.3. ensure that schools and colleges have a “pastoral” system
which protects, supports and enables young people to receive support;
5.6. in general:
5.6.1. address the social determinants
of health, for example poverty, deprivation, prejudice and stigma,
in order to address inequalities in health;
5.6.2. identify and share examples of good practice and proven
effectiveness at local, national and international level.