The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) or National Adolescent Health Programme was launched in 2014 in India. It aims to improve the health of adolescents aged 10-19 by focusing on nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, injury and violence prevention, and substance abuse prevention. The programme seeks to achieve its objectives through community-based interventions like peer education, adolescent health days, and iron supplementation, as well as facility-based interventions like adolescent friendly health clinics. It also promotes convergence between different government departments and schemes related to adolescent health and development.

1. Suveda K S
CRMI

11. The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram was
launched on 7th January, 2014 , 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 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.
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)

12. Target Groups
The new adolescent health (AH) strategy focuses on age groups
10-14 years and 15-19 years with universal coverage i.e. males
and females; urban and rural; in school and out of school;
married and unmarried and vulnerable and under-served.

13. Objectives
The new AH strategy seeks to achieve the following objectives
1.Improve nutrition
1. Reduce the prevalence of malnutrition among adolescent
girls and boys (including overweight/obesity)
2. Reduce the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA)
among adolescent girls and boys
2. Enable sexual and reproductive health
1. Improve knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, in relation to
SRH
2. Reduce teenage pregnancies
3. Improve birth preparedness, complication readiness and
provide early parenting support for adolescent parents

14. 3.Enhance mental health
1. Address mental health concerns of adolescents
4.Prevent injuries and violence
1. Promote favourable attitudes for preventing injuries and
violence (including GBV) among adolescents
5.Prevent substance misuse
1. Increase adolescents' awareness of the adverse effects
and consequences of substance misuse

15. 7.Address conditions for NCDs
1. Promote behaviour change in adolescents to prevent
NCDs such as cancer, diabetes, cardio-vascular
diseases and strokes The strategy is operationalised
through six key components i.e. Communication
(including Social and Behaviour Change
Communication for improved health seeking
behaviour); provision of commodities; provision of
services; capacity building; monitoring & evaluation and
programme management including supportive
supervision.

16. Strategies
Strategies/interventions to achieve objectives can be
broadly grouped as:
1.Communityy based interventions
• Peer Education (PE)
• Quarterly Adolescent Health Day (AHD)
• Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation
Programme (WIFS)
• Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS)
1.Facility based interventions
• Strengthening of Adolescent Friendly Health
Clinics (AFHC)

17. 3. Convergence
Within Health & Family Welfare - FP, MH (incl VHND), RBSK,
NACP, National Tobacco Control Programme, National Mental
Health Programme, NCDs and IEC
• With other departments/schemes - WCD (ICDS, KSY,
BSY, SABLA), HRD (AEP, MDM), Youth Affairs and
Sports (Adolescent Empowerment Scheme, National
Service Scheme, NYKS, NPYAD)
4.Social and Behaviour Change Communication with focus on
Inter Personal Communication