There is a large population of young people (age 10-24 years) in the region of Asia and the Pacific. Adjusting to sexual development and protecting their reproductive health are among the greatest challenges for adolescents during this period of transition from childhood to adulthood. In order to provide evidence-based information to assist governments international agencies and nongovernmental organizations to develop policies and projects the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office supported eight countries namely Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam to conduct a literature and programme review on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH).
The objectives of the review are: (a) to identify the extent of ASRH problems in the Western Pacific Region; (b) to examine trends in ASRH in the countries; (c) to assess the needs and gaps in the delivery of ASRH services and; (d) to assess the evidence on effective policies and interventions and limitations in current policies. The review covered all research and projects conducted on ASRH from 1995 to 2003. It summarized the experiences and lessons learnt and also pointed out the challenges for improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health.