Media Advisory
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Activity |
Special talk on “success in implementing the UK’s ten-year teenage pregnancy strategy” |
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Speaker |
Alison Hadley, Director of Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange, UK, who led the implementation of this Strategy during 1999-2014 |
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Date, time |
Wednesday 8 February 2017, 09.00 – 11.30 hr |
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Venue |
The Miracle Grand Convention Hotel |
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Confirm at |
Kullwadee Sumalnop, sumalnop@unfpa.org, 08.1917.5602 |
Background information
Alison Hadley, Director of the Teenage Pregnancy Unit who led the implementation of this Strategy during 1999-2014, will speak on the detail of how the complex strategy was implemented over the 10 year period and discuss six key features which are identified as being fundamental to its success and the important lessons for government and policy makers in Thailand seeking to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. Alison is invited by UNFPA Thailand as an expert on teenage pregnancy reduction. The issue is the key focus in the 2nd National Conference on Healthy Sexuality organized by the Thai Health Promotion Fund in collaboration with public and private sectors including UNFPA Thailand.
The UK Labour Government’s 10-year teenage pregnancy strategy for England is one of the few examples of an intervention which has successfully reduced teenage pregnancy rates. The strategy, launched in 1999, was the first attempt by the government to implement a comprehensive, evidence based programme with sufficient time, funding and leadership to have an impact. Nationally led and locally delivered, the strategy had four themes: joined up action by national and local government; better prevention through improved sex and relationships education and young people’s access to effective contraception; a national campaign to reach young people and parents; and coordinated support for young parents. Since the start of the strategy the under-18 conception rate in England has fallen by 51%, with significant reductions in deprived areas. This success is a great lesson learned that Thailand can adopt to deal with the high teenage pregnancy.
Currently, according to the Department of Health, the Adolescent Fertility Rate in Thailand remains high at 44.8 live births to women aged 15-19 per 1,000 women 15-19 years old in 2015. (Resource: https://goo.gl/9bq9zu) Among the ASEAN nations including Timor-Leste, the Rate in Thailand ranks sixth at 44.7 live births to women aged 15-19 per 1,000 women 15-19 years old during 2010 – 2015.
