ENHANCING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS & YOUNG WOMEN

Smart Start, developed under the Adolescents 360 (A360) initiative, is an innovative approach to adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) in Ethiopia. Co-designed with young people, it aims to increase contraceptive uptake among married adolescent girls aged 15-19. As of March 2024, Smart Start has helped more than 356,542 girls to voluntarily take contraception of their choice.

While Smart Start prevents maternal mortality by reducing unintended and teenage pregnancies, there is a need for comprehensive, quality care throughout the reproductive journey of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Adolescent mothers face higher risks of complications such as eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections, and their babies also face higher health risks. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the risk of complications is high even among young women, with a reported Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 267 per 100,000 live births