Lok Sabha Question No. 4083 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Health issues among Adolescents
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: N.K. Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTI ON NO. 4083 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH MARCH, 2021

## HEALTH ISSUES AMONG ADOLESCENTS

## 4083. SHRI N.K. PREM ACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  analyzed  the  issues relating  to  health  of  adolescents  in  the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that nutritional disorders, malnutrition as well as obesity are the main issues being faced by the adolescents in the country, if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon;
- (c) whether the Government has initiated any action to resolve substance abuse and stress among adolescents in the country and if so the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  it  has  come  to  the  notice  of  the Government  that  common  mental  disorders  are reported among the adolescents and if so, the details of action taken there on;
- (e) whether the Govern ment has initiated any action for empowerment of adolescents so as to reduce suicides and different types of violence; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons herefo ?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY W ELFARE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a): Government regularly carries out National level surveys to assess and analyse issues to health of all age groups. A few details as follows:
- The teenage pregnancies have reduced to 7.9% ( NFHS  4), early  marriages  have  also  gone down substantially to 26.8% (NFHS 4) as compared to the previous NFHS3 data .
- Further as per the NFHS 5 data released for 22 States/ U Ts:
- o 17 States/ UTs have shown improvement in the percentage of Women age d 20- 24 years marri ed before age 18 years
- o 16 States/ UTs have shown reduced teenage pregnancies
- o 20 States /UTs have shown improvement in p ercentage of w omen aged 15- 24 yrs who are usinghygienic methods of protection during their menstrual period
- The National level figures for N FHS 5 are    yet to be released.

(b):  Government  is  aware  that  the nutritional  disorders,  malnutrition  as  well  as  obesity  a among the issues being faced by the adolescents in the country . These issues adversely impact their health and developmen t

- Based ontheNational Family Health Survey NFHS 4:
- o 42% of women and 45% of men in the age group of 15 - 19 yrs have BMI<18.5 (thin)
- o 4.8 %boys and 4.2% girls have BMI >25 (obese)
- o 54% of women and 29% of men in this age group suffer from anaemia
- The  high  rate  of  malnutrition  in  girls  not  only  contributes  to  increased  morbidi mortality associated with pregnancy and delivery, but also to increased risk of del low birth - weight babies with low iron reserves. This contributes to intergener a ional cycl of malnourishment and anaemia.
- Government is    implementingAnemia  Mukt  Bharatunder  which  administration  of supervised  weekly  dose  of  Iron  and  Folic  Acid  tablets  is  done  for  In  s chool  and  out  of school adolescents along with screening of tar get groups for moderate/severe anaemia and referring these cases to an appropriate health facility for further management.
- Efforts like Poshan Abhiyan will go a long way in dealing with the chronic proble Malnutrition where multi ministries are engage d.
- Promotion of intake of Double Fortified Salt (DFS) in ICDS, Mid - day  meal  and  Public Distribution System (PDS) is mandatory
- Village  Health  and  Nutrition  Days  are  the  joint  initiative  of  the  Ministries  of  H Family W elfare  and  the  Ministry  of  Wom an  and  Child Development for  addressing  the nutrition concerns in children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Village Health Nutrition  Days  (VHND)  are  monthly  days  held  at  village  level  in  Anganwadi C e tre  to increase the awareness and bring about desired changes in the dietary practices (including iron rich food) and promotion of breastfeeding.

(c):  Government, through  Drug  De - addiction  Programme  (DDAP)  is  providing  financial assistance for affordable, easily accessible and evidence based treatmen t for all substance use disorders  to  Government  Hospitals/  health  institutions like  the National  Drug  Dependence Treatment  Centre (NDDTC AIIMS ) ,  New  Delhi;  PGIMER  Chandigarh;  and  NIMHANS, Bengaluru;Central Institute of Psychiatry , R nchi, Dr. RML Hospital New Delhi; & AIIMS Bhubaneshwar.

Out  of  these  six  institutions  the  centre  at  AIIMS  Delhi  (NDDTC)  is  functioning National/  Nodal  centre . Another 27  drug  treatment  clinics  are  functional  in  District/  Civ Hospital across the cou ntry in which OPD Services are being provided.

(d)  to  (f) : To  address the  burden  of  mental  disorders, Government  of  India  is  implementing NationalMental  Health  Programme  (NMHP). Under  theDistrict  Mental  Health  Programme (DMHP) in 692 districts, the obje ctive isto

- Provide suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills train counselling in schools and colleges.
- Provide mental health s ervices including prevention, promotion and long term continuing car at different level of districts healthcare delivery systems.
- Augment institutional capacity in terms of infrastructure, equipment and human resource for mental healthcare.
- Promote  community  awareness  and  participation  in  the  delivery  of  mental  healthca services.

Realizing th e impact that COVID - 19 might have on the mental health of the people, the Government has taken a number of initiatives to provide psychosocial support including a 24X 7 helpline set up through NIMHANS, Bangalore to provide psychosocial support by mental health professionals .

Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LG BRIMH ) Tezpur and Central Institute of Psychiatry Ranchi along with various States/ UTs are also extend ingthe services in regional/ local languages.

Under  Rashtriya Kishor  Swasthya  Karyakram  (RKSK) , Adolescent  Friendly  Health Clinics (AFHCs) established across the country provide adolescents with counselling services on  major  adolescent  health  issues  including  the  mental  health  issues  like  stress,  dep suici dal tendency and violence.