Evidence shows that we have not yet arrived at a point where adolescents and youth have reached their full potential.

Adolescent girls who are married and get pregnant are at high risk of dying from complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality is the leading cause of death among girls ages 15 to 19.¹ Adolescent pregnancies are more likely to occur in marginalized communities, commonly driven by poverty and lack of education, and can perpetuate a cycle of poverty from one generation to the next. At a broader level, it threatens a young woman’s ability to contribute to and benefit from her country’s economic development and prosperity.

MOMENTUM’s Approach

We work across USAID partner countries to address the reproductive health needs of young men and women as part of a cross-cutting approach to reducing maternal and child mortality. We promote informed choice and voluntary family planning among young women and their partners to support the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy, including the delay of a woman’s first pregnancy to at least age 18. Priority populations for MOMENTUM activities include first-time parents; marginalized and vulnerable adolescents such as youth who are homeless, out-of-school, or affected by humanitarian crises; younger adolescents ages 10 to 14; and adolescents in urban areas.