This guidance document offers a strategic framework and processes to strengthen competency-based pre- and in-service training on adolescent health for health-care providers, as a contribution to achieving universal health coverage for all adolescents and youth in the region. It proposes three priority areas and two cross-cutting themes. The priority areas include: 1) Supporting leadership, management and accountability; 2) Developing consensus about the content and strategies for strengthening the adolescent health components of pre- and in-service training; 3) Increasing the quality and coverage of adolescent health in existing pre- and in-service training programmes. The cross-cutting issues are monitoring and evaluation, and the meaningful involvement of adolescents and youth.