Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare addressed concerns raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 958 regarding adolescent health challenges, including anaemia, malnutrition, and mental health. It references national data from the NFHS and NMHS, and outlines existing programs like RKSK and inter-ministerial coordination efforts to address these issues. The reply details specific interventions in school and community settings implemented in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Women and Child Development.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Data on Anaemia, Malnutrition, and Mental Health:**
* NFHS data (age group 15-19 years) provides state/UT-wise data on anaemia and malnutrition (see Annexure).
* NMHS 2015-16 data indicates that 7.3% of adolescents (13-17 years) suffer from mental disorders, with similar distribution between males (7.5%) and females (7.1%).
* **Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK):**
* Implemented since 2014 under the National Health Mission to ensure holistic health and development of adolescents.
* Addresses nutrition, non-communicable illnesses, substance abuse, injuries/violence, sexual reproductive health, and mental health.
* Implemented through health facilities (clinic-based services) and interventions in schools and communities.
* Approvals given to States/UTs based on proposals received in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans.
* **Interventions in Community and Schools:**
* Implemented in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Women and Child Development.
* Peer Education (PE) Programme: Trained peer educators conduct participatory sessions on adolescent health.
* Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme: Weekly IFA tablets provided to in-school boys/girls and out-of-school girls to prevent anaemia.
* National Deworming Day (NDD): Albendazole tablets administered in schools and Anganwadi Centres twice a year to reduce STH infestation.
* School Health Wellness Programme: Joint initiative with the Ministry of Education. Two teachers per school trained as Health and Wellness Ambassadors (HWAs) to conduct activity-based sessions on thematic areas, including mental health and nutrition.
Impact Analysis:
* **Adolescents (10-19 years):**
* *Impact:* Directly benefit from the RKSK program and its interventions, including improved access to information, health services, and resources related to nutrition, mental health, and overall well-being.
* *Action Required:* Participate actively in peer education sessions, utilize provided health services, and adhere to recommended supplementation and deworming schedules.
* **States/Union Territories:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing the RKSK program within their jurisdictions, requiring allocation of resources, coordination of activities, and monitoring of outcomes.
* *Action Required:* Develop and submit Annual Programme Implementation Plans to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, ensuring alignment with national guidelines and local needs.
* **Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Education, and Women and Child Development:**
* *Impact:* Required to collaborate and coordinate efforts to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach to adolescent health.
* *Action Required:* Maintain effective inter-ministerial communication, align policies and programs, and share data and best practices to optimize the impact of interventions.
* **Schools and Anganwadi Centres:**
* *Impact:* Serve as key settings for implementing adolescent health interventions, including WIFS, NDD, and the School Health Wellness Program.
* *Action Required:* Facilitate the distribution of IFA and albendazole tablets, support the training and activities of Health and Wellness Ambassadors, and create a supportive environment for adolescent health promotion.
Key Entities Referenced
Lancet: Refers to a study published in The Lancet journal, which highlighted adolescent health challenges including poor diet quality, anaemia, and rising mental health concerns.
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram RKSK: A national adolescent health programme implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare within the National Health Mission, addressing multidimensional health challenges of adolescents.
National Family Health Survey NFHS: A large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in India, providing data on population health and nutrition, particularly anaemia and malnutrition prevalence.
National Mental Health Survey NMHS: A survey conducted across 12 States of India in 2015-16, providing data on the prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents.
Peer Education PE Programme: A programme implemented through trained peer educators in schools and communities, conducting sessions on adolescent health issues.
Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation WIFS programme: A programme providing weekly supervised IFA tablets to in-school boys and girls and out-of-school girls for prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia.
National Deworming Day NDD: A programme administering albendazole tablets via schools and Anganwadi Centres to reduce soil-transmitted helminth STH infestation among children and adolescents.
School Health Wellness Programme: A joint initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education to foster growth, development, and educational achievement of school-going children by promoting their health and wellbeing.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION No. 958
TO BE ANSWEREDON25TH JULY,2025
LANCETSTUDYONANAEMIA
958.SRIGAURAVGOGOI:
Willthe Ministerof HEALTH & FAMILYWELFARE be pleasedtostate:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the findings of the recent Lancet study
highlighting the alarming burden of adolescent health challenges in the country
includingpoor dietquality, anaemiaandrising mentalhealth concerns;
(b) the current national data on prevalence of anaemia, malnutrition and mental health
disorders amongadolescents(ages10–19), disaggregatedbygenderand region;
(c) the specific programmes or interventionscurrently in place toaddress these adolescent
healthissues, particularlyinschool andcommunity settings;
(d) whether the Government is planning to revise or expand existing schemes like the
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) to respond to the multi-dimensional
healthchallengesraised bythe study andif so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether any inter-ministerial coordination is being undertaken between the Health,
Education and Women & Child Development ministries to ensure a comprehensive
adolescent healthstrategy andif so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to (e) The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data for prevalence of Anaemia
and Malnutrition in the country provides for data availability for the age group of 15-19
years. State/UTwise data isplacedinthe Annexure.
As perthe National Mental HealthSurvey (NMHS)2015-16, undertaken across 12States
of India, 7.3% of adolescents (aged 13 – 17 years of age) were suffering from mental
disorders with a similar distribution betweenmales (7.5%) andfemales(7.1%).
To ensure the holistic health and development of the adolescent population, Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare implements the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
(RKSK) since 2014 within the National Health Mission. Approvals are given to
States/UTs based on the proposals received in their Annual Programme Implementation
Plans.
The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram addresses the multi-dimensional health
challengesof the adolescents by havinginterventions across the themesof nutrition, non-
communicable illnesses, substance abuse, injuries and violence (including gender-based
1violence), sexual reproductive health and mental health. The programme is implemented
across health facilities with clinic-based services for health promotion and prevention of
diseases, andinterventionsat schools andwithin communities.
The interventions to address the adolescent health issues within community and in
schools are implemented inpartnership with the Ministries of Education andWomen and
Child Development,andare asunder:
i.PeerEducation (PE) Programme is implementedthrough selected andtrained Peer
Educators from schools and community, who form groups of boys and girls and
conductregularparticipatory sessions onissues of adolescent health.
ii.WeeklyIronFolicAcidSupplementation(WIFS)programmeentailsprovision of
a weekly-supervised IFAtablets to in-school boys and girls and out-of-school girls for
prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia. It is implemented across the
countryinbothruralandurbanareas,coveringgovernment,governmentaidedschools,
andAnganwadi Centres.
iii.NationalDewormingDay(NDD)underwhichalbendazoletabletsareadministered
in a single fixed day approach via schools and Anganwadi Centres in two rounds
(February and August) to reduce the soil transmitted helminth (STH) infestation
amongallchildrenand adolescents(1-19 years).
iv. School Health & Wellness Programme is a joint initiative of Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education to foster growth, development and
educational achievement of school going children by promoting their health and
wellbeing. Two teachers from each school trained as ‘Health and Wellness
Ambassadors” (HWAs) on 11 thematic areas including emotional wellbeing and
mental health andnutrition, promotion of healthy lifestyles etc. conduct activity-based
classroom sessions regularly.
*****
2Annexurereferredtointhereplytoparts(a)to(e)ofLokSabhaUnstarredQuestionNo.958for
answeron25.07.2025
Annexure
State/UTwisedataon AnaemiaandMalnutrition(Source:NFHS52019-21)
Women(15-19 yrs) Men(15-19yrs)
Women Menaged
aged15-19 15-19
BMI BMI≥25.0 BMI BMI≥25.0
Sr. yearswho yearswho
States/UTs <18.5 (overweight <18.5 (overweight
No are are
( thin) orobese) (thin) orobese)
anaemic anaemic
(%) (%) (%) (%)
(%) (%)
1 Andaman&Nicobar 44.9 27.1 NA NA NA NA
2 AndhraPradesh 60.1 18.7 39.6 9.8 40.8 13.2
3 ArunachalPradesh 48.5 24.9 13.8 5.9 13.6 8
4 Assam 67 39.6 32.6 3.9 28 4.4
5 Bihar 65.7 34.8 43.6 2.6 46.2 2.4
6 Chandigarh 57.7 NA NA NA NA NA
7 Chhattisgarh 61.4 31.5 40.3 3.5 36.6 4.5
8 Delhi 51.6 18.9 31.6 10.3 31.8 13
9 DNH&DD 63.9 37 NA NA NA NA
10 Goa 44.5 15.8 39.3 13.6 51.5 10.2
11 Gujarat 69 36 52.5 4.9 46.5 8.8
12 Haryana 62.3 29.9 40.8 6.8 38.3 7.6
13 HimachalPradesh 53.2 22.1 39.7 4.9 33.6 6.4
14 J&K 76.2 53.5 18 6.8 15 10
15 Jharkhand 65.8 39.7 43.1 2.6 41.4 4.3
16 Karnataka 49.4 26.5 42.4 8.3 47.1 9.5
17 Kerala 32.5 27.4 34.8 6.9 36 7.1
18 Ladakh 96.9 93.1 NA NA NA NA
19 Lakshadweep 31.4 NA NA NA NA NA
20 MadhyaPradesh 58.1 30.5 43.8 2.9 47.3 4.6
21 Maharashtra 57.2 27.9 48.2 7.1 41.3 8.3
22 Manipur 27.9 7.8 20.2 9.6 27.4 7.2
23 Meghalaya 52.5 30.1 19.7 2.4 22.5 2
24 Mizoram 34.9 21.5 11.3 8.5 19.4 6.6
25 Nagaland 33.9 19.6 35.7 2 27.2 0.7
26 Odisha 65.5 30 36 6.4 32.9 8.5
27 Puducherry 58.4 30.7 NA NA NA NA
28 Punjab 60.3 32.7 38.5 8.2 34.2 8.5
29 Rajasthan 59.4 34 40.1 2 34.7 3.7
30 Sikkim 46.7 17.6 13.8 12 32.7 4.2
31 TamilNadu 52.9 24.6 34.6 14.2 36.9 11.9
32 Telangana 64.7 25.1 43.4 7.5 49.9 10.4
333 Tripura 67.9 27.2 33.8 8 43 15.7
34 Uttarakhand 40.9 27.6 31.1 6.7 38.6 3.6
35 UttarPradesh 52.9 28.2 37.3 3.9 40.2 3.4
36 WestBengal 70.8 38.7 31.7 7.1 36 3.9
4