|
Situation in India
India is the second most populous country in the
world with total population of over 1081 million. Adolescents (10-19
years) form a large section of population – about 22.5 percent, that is,
about 225 million. They are living in diverse circumstances and have diverse
health needs. The total population of young people (10 – 24 Years) is
approximately 331 million comprising nearly 30 percent of the total
population of India(Census 2001).
Adolescents are full of energy, have significant drive and
new ideas. They are a positive force for a Nation and are responsible for its
future productivity provided they develop in a healthy manner. Since mortality
in this age group is relatively low the adolescents are considered to be
healthy. However, Mortality is a misleading measure of adolescent health. In
fact, the adolescents do have a range of health problems that cause a lot of
morbidity as well as definite mortality.
In spite of definite health problems they may have, it is
a common observation that adolescents do not access the existing services. In
India
there have not been any designated services for this age group so far,
leading to substantial unmet service needs. Absence of friendly staff,
working hours that are inconvenient to adolescents and lack of privacy and
confidentiality have been identified as important barriers in accessing
health services by adolescents and young people. The health sector needs to
respond by offering services to adolescents in a friendly manner and in a
non-threatening environment.
Programming for
AHD in the Country - Technical Assistance Provided by the WHO
WHO India has worked closely with the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare for developing programme
for Adolescent Health and Development. Technical assistance for this has been
provided from time to time as below:
 Piloting Adolescent
Friendly Health Services
Adolescent Reproductive
and Sexual Health Strategy under RCH-II
Development of Operational
Strategy for Implementing ARSH
Development of Training
Package
Dissemination of
Implementation Strategy
Implementation of RCH-II
ARSH Strategy
MAPM Framework and ‘4 S’
Strategy
Evaluation of WHO
Supported Adolescent Friendly Health Centers
Assessment of Cost of
Providing Adolescent Friendly Health Services
Links:
WHO Headquarter website
WHO SEARO website
|
