Page 26 - HOH UPDATED

The three leading causes of death among young people in the Americas are all preventable.
Homicide is the top killer, accounting for 24% of mortality, followed by road traffic fatalities at
20% and suicide at 7%.

The report shows that a significant number of young people in the Region continue to suffer
from poor health, with more vulnerable groups such as indigenous, Afro-descendent, LGBTQ
and migrant young people being particularly impacted. “Countries must take action so that all
young people, including the most vulnerable, have access to the health services they need, with
no one left behind,” said Dr. Soña Caffe, regional advisor on adolescent health at PAHO. “A

healthier youth will ensure healthier adults in the future,” she added.

Mortality rates higher for males than females

Eighty percent of the 230,000 deaths per year of young people in the Region occur among
males, including nine out of ten deaths due to homicide, four out of five road transit fatalities,
and three out of four suicides.

Homicide rates in young men aged 10-24 years ranged from 3 per 100,000 in Honduras to
121.3 per 100,000 in the Bahamas in 2013-2014. For women, the rates varied from 0.2 per

100,000 in Honduras to 21.1 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

“It is important that countries acknowledge that the higher mortality rates seen among young
men is due, in part, to the pressure they face to adhere to gender norms that may contribute to

harmful behaviors such as aggression and risk-taking” said Dr. Caffe. “This is why it is so
important that health works with families, schools and communities, in order to tackle the social
norms that impact their physical and mental health.”

Suicide rates also continue to increase throughout the Region. While more young women
attempt suicide, more young men die from it. Suicide rates among women aged 10-24 years
ranged from 0.7 per 100,000 in Puerto Rico to 19.4 per 100,000 in French Guiana in 2013-2014.

For men, the rates vary from 1.6 per 100,000 in Honduras to 51.6 per 100,000 in French
Guiana.

The second-highest teen pregnancy rates in the world

Latin America and the Caribbean has the second-highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the
world, estimated at 66.5 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 for 2010-2015, compared to a

worldwide average of 46 births per 1,000 girls.