Valentina Baltag

Dr. Valentina Baltag is the Head of the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Unit in the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO Headquarters. She specializes in adolescent health policies, planning, and program development, advocating for youth-friendly healthcare services and protective social policies.

Dr. Baltag supports governments in building adolescent-responsive health systems, ensuring that sexual and reproductive health (SRH), mental health, nutrition, and violence prevention are addressed through integrated, life-course approaches. Her work focuses on strengthening primary care and school health services, ensuring that adolescents receive accessible, high-quality healthcare.

She has authored numerous publications on adolescent health, including contributions to school health services, quality of care, and preconception care. She is the editor of the International Handbook on Adolescent Health and Development, a key resource for public health professionals working in youth health. Her expertise extends to policy development and implementation, helping Member States refine strategies for adolescent well-being.

Dr. Baltag holds a PhD from the Medical University in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She collaborates with global health organizations, contributing to multisectoral responses for adolescent health.

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