“Youth as a Smart Investment for a Healthy Nation”

College of Community Physicians lights up the pathway:

Usha Perera-Saturday, January 26, 2019

“A school prefect in his A/Levels (maths stream) who got into a brawl with a Grade 9 student after the latter took umbrage at being disciplined by a senior succumbed to his injuries”.
“19-year-old Rasindu Gimhana was stabbed to death while on his way to a tuition class. The tragedy took place at Alevella Street in Matara. The 17-year-old student who stabbed him had claimed that Rasindu’s brother has had an argument with his girlfriend”.

“22-year-old Shiromi Priyadarshani was strangled to death by her boyfriend following a heated argument between the duo over a clandestine affair the girl had. Her body was found near Sumeda Tank in Magandanamulla, Monaragala”

These were some of news items that appeared in popular newspapers recently.
Violence among youth has been a social issue in Sri Lanka that has emerged over the recent past. The advent of technology, accessibility to violence and triggers in the immediate environment are possible causative factors.

But at the same time it is vital to realize that youth are the best resources a country possesses at any given time and advocating to the youth towards positive development is the best way towards smart investments of a Nation.

Young persons are usually wonderfully resilient, adaptable, curious, trustworthy, creative and resourceful. When social setting consistently provide negative messages about abilities and a limited range of desirable life options, it leads the youth to make poor choices regarding the use of their time and resources ending up in crime and violence, substance abuse, negative attitudes and poor choices leaving them with long term negative effects. But when young people are mobilized into development and policy making processes, research has demonstrated that they tend to become increasingly responsible and develop decision-making skills and positive feelings about their changing bodies while becoming more independent and begin to plan and think about the future and confident feelings about their identity.

Taking up the challenge of making a difference among the youth, The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, being the foremost professional body of the Public Health Practitioners in the country, adopted the theme, “Shaping a healthy future, youth as a smart investment” for their activities between the year 2018 – 2019 in order to work through specific programmes towards empowering the youth in our country.

Office-bearers of the College Dr. Janaki Vidanapathirana Dr. Anuji Gamage and Dr. Asiri Hewamalege, explained facts regarding the rationale of their theme for the year.
Who is a “young person” according to international classification?

The United Nations, for statistical purposes, defines ‘young person’, those whom are between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States.

World Health Organization defines young people as between 10 and 24 years of age, and adolescents as between 10 and 19 years of age. The National Youth policy in Sri Lanka defines youth as 15-24 years of age (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development 2014).

“For the purpose of discussion for this article let’s consider a person to be a “young person” with the age as 10 to 24 years to reflect on the concepts of adolescence and youth”, says Dr. Vidanapathirana.

Why are they important?

“currently young people are the largest in history at any given time and 90% of them live in developing countries like ours. Therefore it is very important to harness them into correct pathways as the future of the world will depend on their behaviour as adults. As young people they face many transitions such as change of roles, high educational demands and physical and psychological changes. Brain development of a young person continues into the beginning of the third decade of life. The reorganisation of brain during this period makes it particularly susceptible to environmental influences, both positive and negative. As youth enter this critical age and encounter resources and vulnerabilities, which are biological such genetics, epigenetics, natural endowments and environmental such as national and local policies, as well as community, school, workplace, peers, neighbourhood, and family influences, their lives are shaped by the interrelationships of these factors.

Hence this window period during person’s life is an important milestone for positive interventions that would shape attitudes and the mindset of these young people. In addition as youth’s transition to adulthood they need to have well developed self-esteem and self-efficacy skills including life skills to gear them to manage challenges faced at education and employment settings, as well as relationships with friends and family member. Failure to meet the needs of a young person can have serious short as well as long-term implications for the individual and society at large”, explains the three community physicians.

Why should resources of a country be spent on youth?

“Because It has a high return on investment”, says Dr. Vidanapathirana.