The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched a health programme for adolescents, in the age group of 10-19 years, which would target their nutrition, reproductive health and substance abuse, among other issues.
The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram was launched on 7th January, 2014.
The key principle of this programme is adolescent participation and leadership, Equity and inclusion, Gender Equity and strategic partnerships with other sectors and stakeholders.
The programme envisions enabling all adolescents in India to realize their full potential by making informed and responsible decisions related to their health and well-being and by accessing the services and support they need to do so.
To guide the implementation of this programme, MOHFW in collaboration with UNFPA has developed a National Adolescent Health Strategy.
It realigns the existing clinic-based curative approach to focus on a more holistic model based on a continuum of care for adolescent health and developmental needs.
Objectives
Improve nutrition
Reduce the prevalence of malnutrition among adolescent girls and boys
Reduce the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) among adolescent girls and boys
Improve sexual and reproductive health
Improve knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, in relation to SRH
Reduce teenage pregnancies
Improve birth preparedness, complication readiness and provide early parenting support for adolescent parents
Enhance mental health
Address mental health concerns of adolescents
Prevent injuries and violence
Promote favourable attitudes for preventing injuries and violence (including GBV) among adolescents
Prevent substance misuse
Increase adolescents’ awareness of the adverse effects and consequences of substance misuse
Address NCDs
Promote behaviour change in adolescents to prevent NCDs such as hypertension, stroke, cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes
