A FREE half-day summit which aims to improve the sexual health of young people will take place in the North-East next week.

Nearly 15 years after the launch of the first national teenage pregnancy strategy in England, the North-East still has the highest under-18 conception rate in the country.

The summit, hosted by Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, is expected to attract around 100 professionals from across the North of England to Newcastle on Tuesday October 22.

The event is aimed at commissioners and leaders in health and sexual health service providers, voluntary and community sector organisations, and academics.

Dr Mandy Cheetham, research associate at Teesside University, said: "The idea of the event is to bring together and use evidence of what works to make a difference to young people."

Janet Shucksmith, Fuse associate director and professor in public health at Teesside University, said: "We often listen to all the wrong people in trying to determine what sexual health services we should deliver to young people. Encouraging young people themselves to help research and develop services enables us to get much closer to what will be effective and acceptable."

The two keynote speakers for the event are Professor Kevin Fenton, from Public Health England, and Professor Roger Ingham from Southampton University.

Prof Ingham is director of the Centre for Sexual Health Research, and a former Government advisor on the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy.

Prof Fenton said: "Our aim is to reduce the burden of sexually transmitted infections by improving the coordination, effectiveness and impact of HIV and sexual health services.