One in every three girls in the developing world is married by the age of 18. One in seven marries before they reach the age of 15. In countries like Niger, Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Guinea and the Central African Republic (CAR), the rate of early and forced marriage is 60 per cent and over.

The Department of Education (DepEd) through the Health and Nutrition Center (HNC) is strengthening the School Health and Nutrition Programs (SHNP) into its key programs and aligning all its activities into one seamless whole.

This national school health strategic implementation plan aims to identify and mainstream key health interventions for improved school health and education.

This document is in three parts. It first discusses the 4 prongs for the elimination of HIV infection among children; in other words, the 4 prongs of PMTCT.

The publication summarizes current knowledge on what works in preventing and managing violence.

Worldwide, approximately 16 million women and girls ages 15 to 19 give birth each year, accounting for approximately 11 percent of all births worldwide.

Background: Most textbooks contains messages relating to health. This profuse information requires analysis with regards to the quality of such information. The objective was to identify the scientific evidence on which the health messages in textbooks are based.

These guidelines provide recommendations on action and research for a) preventing early pregnancy: by preventing marriage before 18 years of age; by increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of pregnancy prevention; by increasing the use of contraception; and by preventing coerced

This framework supports the 'Global Plan Towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive'.

This publication is part of a larger IPPF initiative called Girls Decide. The initiative aims to ensure that girls’ and young women’s sexuality and pregnancy-related issues are effectively addressed by leaders and service providers.