Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Esat and Southern Africa

This volume emerged out of the Adolescent Reproductive Health Network (ARHNe), a European Union-funded concerted action project which developed the competence and capacity of researchers in East and Southern Africa to engage in health promotion activities (particularly in the area of reproductive health).

The main objectives of the ARHNe were to: strengthen and further develop research and practice related to the design and delivery of sexual and reproductive health-related services and programs targeting adolescents; foster the development and application of trans-disciplinary theories, conceptual models and research methods relevant to the study of adolescent health, and ultimately develop culturally appropriate intervention programs to modify adolescent health-related behaviors; facilitate technical co-operations among African researchers and between African researchers and their European colleagues in order to stimulate a productive scientific context for ongoing programs and to reduce the risk of costly, uncoordinated duplication of research.

This book ultimately represents a tool that may be utilized not only by academics in the field, but also by practitioners, governments, policy makers and students interested in the future research agenda, priorities and challenges of sexual and reproductive health in the wake of several international commitments.

Knut-Inge Klepp is Professor and Head of the Centre for Prevention of Global Infections at the University of Oslo and Director of the Public Health and Welfare Division of the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs.

Alan J. Flisher is Professor and Head of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Capetown in South Africa and Professor II at the Research Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Bergen in Norway.

Sylvia F. Kaaya is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Psychaitry and Mental Health at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam in Tanazania.