During the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents establish patterns of behavior and make lifestyle choices that affect both their current and future health. Adolescent Health Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements three programmes viz Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Programme (ARSH), Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) and Weekly Iron Supplementation Programme (WIFS).
1. Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH)
Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health programme (ARSH) focuses on the reproductive and sexual health in order to influence the health seeking behaviour of adolescents. Interventions are designed to meet the service needs of adolescents through public health systems. The programme focuses on counselling services and routine check-up at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care is provided on fixed days and fixed time to married and unmarried adolescents, girls and boys through Stand Alone and fixed day clinics. As of now a total of 5207 clinics are functional against a target of 6280. In addition to this, Peer Educators at village level have been enrolled in 17 States and UTs.
2. Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS)
The Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme has been launched to meet the challenge of high prevalence of anaemia amongst adolescent girls and boys. The long term goal is to break the intergenerational cycle of anaemia, the short term benefits is of a nutritionally improved human capital. Programme has been implemented across the country both rural and urban areas and will cover 13 crores adolescents – 6 crore girls and boys enrolled in class VI-XII of government and government aided school and 7 crores out of school girls. Programme has been launched in 19 states namely Orissa, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, D&N Haveli, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Andaman Nicobar, Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Kerala, Mizoram, UP, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. Remaining states are at different stages of preparation for implementation.
3. Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene (MHS):
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has introduced a scheme for promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years in rural areas. The scheme is being implemented in 152 districts across 20 states in the country, wherein supply in 107 districts is through central procurement and in 45 districts production with quality assurance guidelines is through local Self Help Groups. The sanitary napkin packs (containing 6 pieces each) is branded as ‘Freedays’.
A list of implementing pilot districts and states is given below:
Sl. No. | State | No. of implementing Districts | Names of implementing Districts | No. of Blocks |
1 | Andhra Pradesh | 3 | Adilabad, Nizamabad, Chittor | 97 |
2 | Assam | 7 | Goal Para, Dhubri, Barpeta, Kamrup, Marigaon, Nagaon, Sonitpur | 46 |
3 | Bihar | 9 | Saran, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur (Bhabua), Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Aurangabad, Gaya | 144 |
4 | Chhattisgarh | 5 | Bilaspur, Janjgir, Raipur, Mahasamund, Durg | 54 |
5 | Gujarat | 4 | Surat, Kheda, Vadodara, Bharuch | 39 |
6 | HP | 4 | Bilaspur, Mandi, Hamirpur, Una | 22 |
7 | Jammu & Kashmir | 7 | Baramullah (Erstwhile Bandipura), Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua, Kupwara, Doda (Erstwhile Kishtwar/Ramban), Poonch | 55 |
8 | Jharkhand | 5 | Ranchi, Bokaro, Giridih, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad | 52 |
9 | Kerala | 7 | Kasargod, Wayanad, Kannur, Mallapuram, Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad | 77 |
10 | Karnataka | 6 | Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Mysore, Bagalkot, Belgaum | 40 |
11 | Madhya Pradesh | 8 | Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Vidisha, Sagar | 50 |
12 | Maharashtra | 8 | Nandurbar, Dhule, Akola, Buldana, Satara, Latur, Amravati, Beed, | 76 |
13 | Odisha | 4 | Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur | 32 |
14 | Punjab | 5 | Moga, Firozpur, Muktsar, Bhatinda, Faridkot | 25 |
15 | Rajasthan | 7 | Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittaurgarh, Ajmer | 61 |
16 | Uttarakhand | 5 | Uttarkashi, Rudrapayag, Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar, Garhwal | 40 |
17 | Uttar Pradesh | 13 | Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Unnao, Sidharthnagar, Basti, Gorakhpur, Faizabad, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Maharajganj, Rampur | 182 |
TOTAL | 107 | 1092 |