A succinct overview of the problems of adolescent reproductive health in the Sahel

For individuals looking for a good overview of the subject of adolescent reproductive health in the Sahel region of Africa, an excellent place to start is the document "Youth in Danger", published by the Mali-based Center for Applied Research on Population and Development (CERPOD=Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur la Population pour le Développement)in August, 1995.

CERPOD was established in 1988 by CILSS (Permanent Inter-States Committee for Drought Control in The Sahel), which has nine Member-States: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. CERPOD was created in response to an increasing awareness of population problems in the Sahel and reflects the commitment of CILSS to population issues in the region. The dynamic CERPOD team, headquartered in the city of Bamako, is made up of an impressive multidisciplinary group of leading experts in the fields of demography, statistics, geography, sociology, journalism, and computer technology. The research team benefits from the synergistic collaboration of specialists in both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

In 1995, CERPOD launched an 18-month study on the trends and determinants of adolescent reproductive health behavior in the Sahel. This research had two components: analysis of data from demographic health studies in four countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal); and qualitative data gathered through focus group exercises and key informant interviews in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. It was this research that led to the production of the booklet "Youth in Danger" (also available in French: "Les Jeunes en Danger").

"Youth in Danger" allows the reader to gain a better understanding of the role and importance of sexuality in the eyes and minds of the region’s adolescents ; changes and differences in sexual behavior, knowledge and attitudes with regard to family planning, reproductive health and AIDS ; differences in the use of contraceptives by married and single adolescent women ; and differences in contraceptive use by married adolescent women and older married women.

The study results presented in the booklet demonstrate the complexity and the urgency of existing problems relevant to adolescent reproductive health in the Sahel. However, the authors of the booklet are keenly aware that "Youth in Danger" does not provide all the answers, and they appeal to a broad range of players in the Sahel to take the dialogue to the next level: health personnel, teachers, religious leaders, political decision makers, researchers, leaders of youth groups, parents, and adolescents themselves. In this context, each section of the brochure includes two or three key well chosen and cleverly formulated questions designed to stir the reader to discuss the issues with others.

The research results contained in "Youth in Danger" are intended to assist those involved in family planning programs as well as those who deal with the prevention and treatment of STDs as they go about developing appropriate strategies for improving adolescent reproductive health in the countries covered by the study. Toward this end, a number of key individuals and organisations have been called upon to play an active role in the dissemination of the research results: leading authorities in the family planning programs of the five countries (Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Mali, Niger, and Senegal), representatives of financial partners, and interested NGOs.

"Youth in Danger" is the fruit of the collaborative efforts of experts from SARA (Support for Analysis and Research in Africa), Africa Consultants International (Dakar), Macro International, Population Reference Bureau, Tulane University, and Johns Hopkins University. Funding was provided by USAID.