A Study of Quality and Proficiency of the Service Providers in Delivering the Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram Programme in Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Despite existing frameworks for the improvement of adolescent reproductive health, there is a lack in provision of the Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS). The primary objective of this study was to assess the quality and proficiency of service providers to deliver Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS) in central India. Data was gathered by visiting 30 secondary and tertiary level health facilities to assess their infrastructure and preparedness for providing AFHS using a pre-designed questionnaire based on WHO guidelines for assessing quality. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS v21 and Microsoft Excel. Quality of AFHS services was found to be poor in non- RKSK facilities. However the knowledge level, training status and counseling skills of the service provider was found to be highly substandard in both RKSK and Non-RKSK facilities. The RKSK program has not been properly implemented and has failed to make an impact where it was required.

Adolescents Knowledge and Attitude towards Sexual and Reproductive Health in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

“…Acknowledging this, the Government of India introduced the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) in 2014, a comprehensive programme tailored for adolescents. Central to this initiative are the Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS), which predominantly focuses on matters about sexual and reproductive health (Bali et al, 2020).…”

“…Inadequacies of nutrition (32% of adolescents are moderately or severely thin, and 36% are anaemic), the prevalence of teen marriages, gender-based violence, and poor utilisation of Adolescent Friendly Health (AFHS) services render adolescents susceptible to SRH problems. Bali et al (2020) unveiled inadequacies in AFHS attributed to deficient knowledge levels, inadequate training, and substandard counselling skills among health service providers. There is a lack of research on the knowledge and attitude of adolescents on SRH in the Bhopal District of Madhya Pradesh.…”