Rationale for including girls:
• Girls deserve health and wellbeing in their own right, from a human rights perspective, as protected by international law
• Many health issues affecting women have their roots in girlhood, effective prevention and health promotion must commence during this developmental period
• The social and economic benefits of investing in girl’s health is clear and evidence based.

Childhood and adolescence are critical developmental periods with unique challenges and opportunities to influence health and wellbeing (Inchley et al., 2020a). Investment in these life stages and support for these key formative years can provide better outcomes for children, with an ecological life-course approach recommended (Tomlinson et al., 2021). Investment is particularly important to address inequalities in health. The right to health and development for children and adolescents is central to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989). Previous European Child and Adolescent Health Strategies (WHO, 2005 and 2014) and the forthcoming strategy (up to 2030) builds on these commitments with the overarching goal of promoting healthier populations. Health outcomes for children and adolescents are good in Europe, including in Ireland, but there are discrepancies in health within countries, including between boys and girls, and between girls, especially for those with social and economic disadvantage. The cycle of disadvantage can be broken by addressing inequities during childhood and adolescence to enable children and young people to reach their full potential.