Abstract:
Against the background of increasing international calls for the development and implementation of age-appropriate
programmes that address both quality and access issues to improve adolescent and youth health, this
paper explores the extent to which public health facilities are available and accessible to adolescents and
youth in South Africa. The impetus for the study was the current evidence that there was generally poor
utilisation of services offered at public health facilities by young people in the country. The overall findings are
that despite the country's comprehensive legal and policy framework and commitment to improve the health
of young people, there continues to be some structural and systemic factors that hamper effective provision
and programming of adolescent and youth friendly services. The paper concludes with recommendations for policy
and practice.
