Karnataka Mandates Statewide Audit of Teenage Pregnancies for Better Health

The order, issued by the Under Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Pradeep Kumar B.S., has come into immediate effect.

According to the order, the move seeks to address teenage pregnancy as a serious public health and social concern, given its links to maternal health risks, adverse birth outcomes, school dropouts and social vulnerability.

The government noted that despite existing programmes such as the National Health Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), the persistence of teenage pregnancies highlights gaps in awareness, access to reproductive health services, and broader socio-economic factors such as early marriage and discontinuation of education.

Under the new directive, all adolescent pregnancies must be mandatorily reported by both government and private health institutions on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) platform. The Taluk Health Officer (THO) will be responsible for conducting audits of each case.

The audit will assess multiple factors, including age at marriage, educational status, awareness of reproductive health, access to contraception and counselling services, as well as socio-economic and family vulnerabilities. It will also examine linkages with programmes such as RKSK, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and school health initiatives.

At the taluk level, an audit committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Taluk Health Officer, with members including the Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre, health inspectors or Lady Health Visitors, ASHA and Anganwadi supervisors, and a school representative, where applicable.

The government has directed that counselling services be strengthened through existing mechanisms such as Sneha Centres, and that contraceptive services and pregnancy testing kits be made available as per programme guidelines. It also called for identification and mapping of vulnerable adolescents, including school dropouts, migrants and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

District Health Officers (DHOs) will oversee implementation at the district level, while the Deputy Director under the RBSK will monitor progress at the state level. Authorities have been instructed to classify cases as preventable or non-preventable and recommend corrective actions. Periodic reviews will be conducted by Deputy Commissioners at the district level and the Mission Director of NHM at the state level.

The order also emphasises strict confidentiality and adherence to legal provisions, including mandatory reporting requirements under child protection laws.

The government clarified that the initiative will be implemented within the existing framework and budgets of NHM and RKSK, with no additional financial burden on the state exchequer.

- IANS