Table 1.

Key concepts and definitions (Malawi, 2017–2018)

Key concepts	Definition
Adolescent, youth and young people	Definitions of adolescent, youth and young people vary by country and region, yielding overlapping and conflicting categories. The 2016 Lancet Commission defines adolescents as being between 10 and 19 years of age, “youth” as those aged 15–24 years, and “young people” as being 10–24 years old (Patton et al. 2016). By contrast, the African Youth Charter (2006) and Malawi’s National Youth Policy (Government of Malawi 2013) define youth as individuals aged 15 to 35 and 10 to 35 years, respectively
Youth participation	The “active and meaningful involvement of young people in all aspects of their own, and their communities’ development, including their empowerment to contribute to decisions about their personal, family, social, economic and political development” (Patton et al. 2016, p. 38). It represents both a process and outcome to be involved in the institutions, structures and decisions that shape their lives (Checkoway 2011)
Youth-friendly health services (YFHS)	A package of “relevant, accessible, attractive, affordable, appropriate and acceptable” health services for young people, that aims to increase the use of health services in this population (Ministry of Health Republic of Malawi 2015, p. x)
Reproductive health	At the ICPD conference, reproductive health was defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes” (United Nations 1995)