Adolescent health and health care in the Arab Gulf countries: Today's needs and tomorrow's challenges.

This review article documents the evidence regarding the health status of adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years in the Arab region and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) and also considers the state of adolescent health care in the region compared to the recommended guidelines for such services. Adolescents make up more than 25% of the population of the GCC countries, a percentage that is far higher than that in other high-income countries, yet their health status and health care needs are not given proportional attention in the region. Thus, the burden of mortality and morbidity for adolescents in the region has shifted from communicable diseases to road traffic injuries, mental health issues, non-communicable diseases, and health-compromising behaviors and conditions that contribute to those issues.