Bengaluru, April 7 (NationPress) On Tuesday, the Karnataka government announced a statewide initiative to conduct an audit of all teenage pregnancy cases. This effort is aimed at enhancing the monitoring, prevention, and support mechanisms for girls aged 10 to 18 years.

The directive, issued by Pradeep Kumar B.S., Under Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, is effective immediately.

The rationale behind this order is to tackle teenage pregnancy, recognized as a significant public health and social issue due to its association with risks to maternal health, negative birth outcomes, school dropouts, and increased social vulnerability.

Despite ongoing programs like the National Health Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), the continued occurrence of teenage pregnancies underscores the need for improved awareness, access to reproductive health services, and addressing socio-economic factors such as early marriages and education discontinuation.

As part of the new mandate, all adolescent pregnancies must be reported by both governmental and private health facilities through the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) platform. The Taluk Health Officer (THO) will oversee the audits of each case.

The audits will evaluate several factors, including age at marriage, educational background, awareness of reproductive health, accessibility to contraception and counseling services, along with socio-economic vulnerabilities. It will also analyze connections with initiatives such as RKSK, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and school health programs.

At the taluk level, an audit committee will be formed, chaired by the Taluk Health Officer, including members like the Medical Officer from the Primary Health Centre, health inspectors or Lady Health Visitors, ASHA and Anganwadi supervisors, and a school representative when appropriate.

The government has directed the strengthening of counseling services via existing channels like Sneha Centres, ensuring that contraceptive services and pregnancy testing kits are made available in accordance with program guidelines. Furthermore, it has called for the identification and mapping of at-risk adolescents, including school dropouts, migrants, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

District Health Officers (DHOs) will supervise the implementation at the district level, while the Deputy Director under the RBSK will monitor the progress at the state level. Authorities are also tasked with categorizing cases as preventable or non-preventable and suggesting necessary corrective measures. Periodic assessments will be carried out by Deputy Commissioners at the district level and the Mission Director of NHM at the state level.

The order underscores the importance of maintaining strict confidentiality and adhering to legal stipulations, including mandatory reporting as outlined by child protection laws.

The government clarified that this initiative will operate within the existing frameworks and budgets of NHM and RKSK, ensuring no additional financial burden on the state’s resources.