Scoping study on the health of unsheltered youth in the Latin America and Caribbean region

 

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region faces multiple social, economic and political challenges that directly affect young people. A significant proportion of the population lives in extreme poverty and exclusion, with homeless youth being among the most affected population. The causes of youth homelessness are diverse and complex, including factors such as structural poverty, accumulation of vulnerabilities, youth unemployment, domestic violence, family abandonment and migration.

In many countries in the region, the policies and programs aimed at this population are neither sufficient nor adequately funded, leaving young people without an adequate safety net. Many of these young people experience discrimination and stigmatization when attempting to access medical care, leading them to avoid seeking help until their situation is dire. Determining what is known about the effectiveness of current policies and programs that direct health systems and services towards homeless youth in LAC, as well as the needs of this population, is crucial for advancing a research agenda and knowledge generation on adolescents and youth experiencing homelessness. It is also crucial in the development of public policies and social programs that better address their needs and the current care gaps.

This scoping study aims to: define the state of research and knowledge about the situation of adolescents and young people experiencing homelessness and at risk of homelessness in LAC and the policies and programs directed towards them; develop case studies in seven selected countries in LAC, generating learnings for other countries in the region; and disseminate existing knowledge and project results to key stakeholders, contributing to building a robust body of evidence on this issue and developing a research and public advocacy agenda for the next decade.