65% of the Malagasy population is under the age of 24 (Third General Census of Population and Housing of 2018/ RGPH-3). Among this predominantly young population, 36% of women aged 20-24 have had a live birth before the age of 18 and 56% of currently married or in union women aged 20-24 are not using any contraceptive method (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey - MICS Madagascar, 2018). We are not going to dwell on the numbers because we all know that issues related to youth sexual health in Madagascar remain critical. Instead, let us focus on solutions to address the disastrous situation in which young people find themselves.

As a youth platform, we recommend the following measures:

• Improve the evidence base regarding the SRHR needs of very young adolescents to fill major research gaps. More data need to be provided, specifically data related to the 10-14-year-old age range, the experiences and needs of young male adolescents, and those of the most marginalized or vulnerable groups of very young adolescents (including refugees and other displaced populations, out-of-school adolescents, adolescents exposed to transactional sex, those living with HIV, and those with disabilities);
• Ensure access to SRHR services for very young adolescents by training providers to offer non-judgmental and youth-friendly services; creating youth-friendly health facilities; informing and encouraging adolescent males and females to seek services; and building support from community members for adolescent service delivery;
• Continue to focus on proven interventions that keep very young adolescents in school, especially girls (including those who are pregnant or already mothers);
• Implement national Comprehensive Sexuality Education policies and curricula that include information on contraceptive methods; 
• Address the structural and social root causes of gender-based violence and early marriage, such as discriminatory attitudes towards girls and women, for example, by intensifying programs to promote equitable gender norms.

In addition, it should be noted that Madagascar launched a Demographic Dividend Roadmap in 2019. This is a reference framework that aims to guide major investments in education, health, economy and governance for Madagascar's socio-economic development, enabling it to take advantage of the demographic dividend. In the area of health, one of the key actions of this roadmap is to "commit senior government officials to prioritize reproductive health and family planning in order to enable the empowerment and economic development of the family and the country."

In that respect, we, organizations working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and youth, would like to call on the high leaders of the State on the need to focus on the 10-24-year-olds by significantly increasing the number of youth-friendly health centers and by putting in place a mechanism to monitor the implementation (or not) of the Law Number 2017-043 on reproductive health and family planning. As a reminder, Article 5 of this law enshrines the right to comprehensive services, regardless of age.

A demographic transition will only occur in an environment conducive to equality between women and men. This allows women to access family planning by overcoming one of the major obstacles they currently face (partner refusal). An enabling environment for gender equality also allows women and couples to have the number of children they want, whenever they want; and encourages women to participate in the labor force and contribute more to the economic well-being of their families.