I was pleased to speak at Clinton Global Initiative “1.8 Billion Futures” session in my capacity as Chair of the PMNCH Board. The 1.8 billion young lives make up just over a fifth of the world's population. Yet, their voices are often left out of the decision-making processes which are shaping their lives.

Countries must prioritise adolescent health and well-being in plans and strategies, and allocate specific budgets for that. Between 2003 and 2015, only 1.6 per cent of development assistance for health was dedicated to adolescent health, despite its critical importance. We have to do better – the costs of underinvestment are high.