And although not every .one is equipped or motivated to became an entrepreneur, many young people can create jobs that generate employment. In the US, says YBI, micro-enterprises create jobs at an average annual rate of 900,000 a year.

So far, IYF's Empowering Africa's Young People Initiative has trained more than 31,000 young people and parents in how to reduce transmission of the disease HIV.

As well as health information, young people also need education and development programmes that will prepare them for success in adult¬hood.

These should start early, says Wendy Cunningham, co-ordinator of the Children and Youth programme at the World Bank, which has been evaluating the impact of different investments in young people.

The World Bank had known for same time about the long-term benefits that come from programmes for pre-school children addressing issues such as nutrition, health and social behaviour - whether those were delivered through day-care centres, community-based .or parenting initiatives.

"Early child development programmes have been found to affect youth behaviour," says Ms Cunningham. "They seem to reduce the incidence .of youth violence and the incidence .of youth unemployment, and they increase the earnings .of young people - so there's a whole range .of outcomes that seem to be linked to investing in years zero through five."

One US study the Bank reviewed followed the development of a group .of children enrolled in an early child¬hood programme versus a control group from the same community that did not participate in the scheme.

Among the results .of the study was a difference in the proportion of children who finished high school, with 71% of those in the programme graduating compared with only 55% of those not in the programme. "This is evidence we find very compelling," says Ms Cunninham.