Episode 5 - Adolescent maternal and reproductive health

The fifth episode of The Global Health Histories Podcast, hosted by Shane Doyle (Professor of African History and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Heath Histories at the University of Leeds), focuses on adolescent maternal and reproductive health, particularly in the Global South. The discussion features an interview with: Dr Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, who led work on adolescent health in the World Health Organization from 2005 until his retirement in 2023, first in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health, and then in the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. The episode discusses the particular health risks, both physical and mental, associated with adolescent reproduction. Adolescent mothers face elevated risks of conditions such as eclampsia, systemic infections, and postnatal depression, while their babies are more likely to be born preterm or with complications. While globally the adolescent birth rate has fallen since 2000, this decline has been extremely uneven, between and within countries. In this episode, discussion focuses on the reasons why adolescent reproduction continues to be marginalised within health systems, why progress has reversed in some societies, and why adolescent pregnancy is increasingly associated with various forms of vulnerability. Additional links Blum RW, Chandra-Mouli V.’ Where We Are and How We Got Here: Taking Stock of the State of Global Adolescent Health’. J Adolesc Health. 2024 Oct;75(4S):S6-S8. Centre for Global Health Histories Chung, W.H, Kim, ME., Lee, J. ‘Comprehensive understanding of risk and protective factors related to adolescent pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review’. Journal of Adolescence. 2018; 69: 180-188. UNFPA, My Body, My Life, My World: A global Strategy for Adolescents and Youth World Health Organisation, Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights