Addressing adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the Pacific

This cohort of young people presents a powerful opportunity to improve health and development outcomes for Myanmar: investing in adolescent health not only ensures the health and wellbeing of the current generation of young people, but also lays the foundation for future adult health, and the health of the next generation.

Key to realising this ‘triple dividend’ is understanding the priority health needs of adolescents to inform effective investments.

To date, the needs of adolescents in Myanmar had not been systematically described, representing a major knowledge gap and a barrier to developing responsive policies and programs.

2009 – 2019

In 2012, Burnet commenced a community-based randomised controlled trial to evaluate a peer-led intervention to address adolescent pregnancy in Vanuatu. Conducted in partnership with Wan Smolbag, this study has also examined the context of early pregnancy, experiences of sexual violence, and improved understanding of unsafe abortion practices.