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  3. Izugbara

Gender and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights in West and Central Africa: New evidence and emerging gaps

Chimaraoke Izugbara(1), Kirabo Suubi(2), Marie-Gloriose Ingabire(3),


(1) Director, Global Health, Youth and Development, International Center for Research on Women, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., USA
(2) International Center for Research on Women, Plot 14 Mackinnon Road, Nakasero– Kampala, Uganda
(3) International Development Research Centre (IDRC), West and Central Africa Regional Office, Immeuble 2K Plaza, route des Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
Corresponding Author

Abstract


The West and Central Africa (WCA) region is a natural resource-rich, 24-country, contiguous area with a population of nearly 500 million people. The median age for the region is currently 18 years and approximately one-third of its population is aged between 10 and 24 years. If current demographic trends in the region persist, its population will reach 1.5 billion by 2050. At that time, WCA will not only have the largest number of young people globally, but it will also be the only part of the world whose population of young people will continue to increase1. Many countries in the region are also or have recently been involved in armed conflicts, which have devastated infrastructure, displaced people, stifled development, and more importantly, resulted in myriad deaths and morbidities.

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