(a) whether the Government has formulated Kishori Health Card scheme and if so, the salient features thereof;
(b) the number of cards made in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh and Bhavnagar and Botad district of Gujarat since its inception so far;
(c) the number of cards targeted to be made in next one year; and
(d) whether the Government has formulated a separate scheme for the health of adolescent girls and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) Government has not formulated Kishori Health Card scheme. However, under the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Kishori Health Cards for Adolescent Girls are maintained at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) to record the information about the weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), along with the services under the scheme i.e. nutrition provision, Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, deworming, referral services and immunization etc. The details of achievements/success made under the scheme are marked on Kishori Card and the card also carries important milestones of Adolescent Girls life including mainstreaming to school etc.
(b) As reported by the State of Gujarat, 1333 Kishori Health Cards were maintained in AWCs in Bhavnagar district and 197 Kishori Health Cards were maintained in AWCs in Botad district in the State of Gujarat. As per the information received from the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Kishori Health card scheme is not being implemented in the State.
(c) Recently the Scheme for Adolescent Girls has been subsumed under Saksham Anganwadi & Mission Poshan 2.0. As adolescent girls in the age group 11-14 years are covered under RTE Act, 2009, the targeted beneficiaries under the revised scheme are adolescent girls in the age group of 14+ to 18 years in Aspirational Districts and NE States.
(d) The Government has formulated the following schemes for the health of adolescent girls:
(i) The Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years is being implemented by the Government since 2011. The major objectives of the scheme are:
a. To increase awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene
b. To increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls.
c. To ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.
(ii) Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) is being provided which entails provision of weekly supervised IFA tablets to the in-school adolescent boys and girls and out-of-school adolescent girls along with biannual albendazole tablets for helminthic control for prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia.
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