The health of adolescents in sub‐Saharan Africa: Challenges and opportunities

This article provides a concise overview of the current challenges that adolescents face in sub-Saharan Africa, summarises possible solutions and ongoing efforts to implement these, and briefly introduces the subsequent papers of this series. The opportunity provided by the growing number of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa will only be realised if they survive, are healthy, receive a quality education, and remain in Africa rather than joining the increasing out-migration exodus. Fortunately, there is an increasing focus on adolescent health and wellbeing both globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, and growing knowledge of what to do to promote adolescent health and wellbeing and how to do it, and a powerful resource in the form of adolescents themselves. There is no time to lose. African adolescents demand it, but are also ready to be part of the solution.