Important Synergies for Advancing Adolescent Health

Guest post by David Bennett

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Whenever I think about efforts to create positive societal change – in our case, to improve the lot of young people – this famous quote comes to mind. Moving ahead effectively with altruistic agendas almost always requires people of good will to join forces for the common good.

In this regard, however, whether related to the varying circumstances of local contexts, or to the broader brushstrokes of our international endeavours, our history as a professional field is epitomised by complexity. A number of organisations have emerged to address adolescent health and medical care across the globe, most working courageously alone, others interconnected in some way or another. Not infrequently, there are adolescent health sections within national paediatric societies, as well as separate national and regional societies for adolescent health, all pursuing slightly different agendas with different professional audiences.

An analysis of differences

While no individual organisation has exclusivity of authority or perspective on the subject of adolescent and young adult health, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), based in the United States, and the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), have been and remain major players in this field. Both embrace the goal of advancing adolescent health, yet each exists for different purposes and contributes to the cause in different ways.*

SAHM (formerly the Society for Adolescent Medicine, SAM, established in 1968) is a membership organisation focused on promoting scientific and scholarly knowledge. IAAH (established in 1987) concentrates on fostering an international coalition of members and organisations and supporting regional initiatives in adolescent health. SAHM identifies most strongly with health issues among American adolescents – although is increasingly global in its orientation – while IAAH advocates more for worldwide issues affecting adolescent health.

IAAH has a global governance structure with explicit representation from the world’s different regions, while SAHM is a US-based NGO which has an International Chapter. SAHM organises an annual scientific meeting in North America and publishes a peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Adolescent Health) while IAAH has regular but less frequent world congresses that are held in different cities across the world. An historic point of difference is that IAAH’s commitment to youth empowerment was articulated in its founding Charter, and it actively seeks to involve young people in all aspects of its work, although SAHM is increasingly engaging young people in its annual scientific meeting and webinars.

Synergies through purpose and people

In 1974, I joined The Society for Adolescent Medicine (as it was then called) at the outset of my Fellowship with Prof Bill Daniel Jr in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The excitement of attending my first conference and linking with like-minded people, of feeling affirmed and part of a vibrant movement, has never left me. Unsurprisingly, the many adolescent health professionals from around the world who have undertaken some or all of their training in the United States feel a similarly strong bond with SAHM.

IAAH regional meetings and the World Congress fulfil a similar purpose, helping to both expand people’s views of the health issues affecting young people in different places, and helping others to appreciate how small the world actually is in relation to common challenges.  

The International Chapter of SAHM – a timely initiative promoted by Manny Chigier from Israel and Roger Tonkin from Canada – was created in 1986. This colourful cohort of members, aided and abetted by the Society’s powers-that-be, has grown exponentially in size and impact. This is evident in the gradually more integrated international content in annual conference programming, the inclusion of the President of the International Chapter within SAHM’s Board of Directors, as well as more prominent leadership roles occasionally undertaken by ‘non-Americans’, including as SAHM President (e.g. Deborah Christie, UK, 2018-19; Debra Katzman, Canada, 2013-14).

The establishment of IAAH in 1987 represented a different milestone, one reflecting efforts to advance adolescent health on a worldwide scale. ‘Official relations’ status with the World Health Organization was awarded at the 46th World Health Assembly in January 1993, drawing IAAH into the global family of recognized, humanitarian non-governmental organizations. The Association thus became a legitimate international voice for youth health concerns.

IAAH’s relationship with the then Society for Adolescent Medicine also entered a new phase at around this time, with clarification of respective roles and priorities, and an increasing spirit of collaboration. In 1993, Dr Richard Brown, Chair of SAM’s Committee on International Issues, convened a meeting in Chicago with Roger Tonkin and myself. Two years later, the Youth Health Assembly – a joint IAAH/Society for Adolescent Medicine meeting – was held in Vancouver, Canada. Much else was also in play. Felix Heald, one of America’s leading pioneers of adolescent medicine (and SAM’s second President after J. Roswell Gallagher) was recognised with an IAAH Founders Award in 2001 for his influence on developments in the field in Latin America.

Changing the world, together

The positive relationship between IAAH and SAHM is likely to reflect better recognition of the scale of health challenges faced by adolescents around the world, growing technical and research expertise in adolescent health, emerging clinical capabilities in many countries and a stronger orientation from UN agencies and development partners. Perhaps too, this simply says something about the special human beings who bring energy and enthusiasm to our field.

Either way, complementarity and cooperation are surely to be fostered and rejoiced in at every opportunity. IAAH President Susan Sawyer nails it with this wry observation: ‘There are too few people in the field to focus on rivalries – from where I sit, it is all about how we can improve the health of young people around the world by growing the field of adolescent health, together.’

*Bennett DL and Tonkin RS, International Developments in Adolescent Health Care: A Story of Advocacy and Achievement, Journal of Adolescent Health, 33 (4); 240-251, 2003. (The authors thanked Pierre-André Michaud, Richard Mackenzie and Bob Blum for their helpful comments and suggestions.)