Adolescent Wellbeing Programme To Facilitate State Development

GUWAHATI: The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA), Assam, National Health Mission (NHM), Assam and Foundation for Integrated Support and Solution (FISS) supported by UNICEF Assam have organized a State Level Consultation for Adolescent Programming in Assam on March 1, 2019 at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara, Guwahati.

Dipok Kumar Barthakur, Vice Chairman, SITA, attended the programme as the Chief Guest. Delivering a speech, he stressed on the scheme of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram which was started by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India which was launched for the development and strengthening of Child health and protection of adolescents. He said that the model’s framework prepared for the implementation of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) programme at Dhubri District in Assam, which will initiate good health practice among the adolescent as well as for the community. If successfully implemented, he said that the model can be used for other inspirational districts as well.

Others who spoke in the programme were Dr Sunita Changkakati, Chairperson, ASCPCR, Jishnu Barua, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam who delivered the keynote address, Dr Tushar Rane, Chief of UNICEF, Assam, Preetom Saikia, Commissioner and Secretary to Government of Assam, Shamsher Singh, Mission Director, SSA, Shri JVN Subramanyam, Mission Director, NHM Assam, Hemen Das, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Assam.

The participants are Joint Director of Health Services, Additional CM & HO, DPM, NHM, DCM, NHM, District Coordinator, RKSK, District Social Welfare Officer, District Child Protection Officer, District Executive Engineer, PHED from Kokrajhar, Nagaon, Goalpara, Golaghat, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Dhubri Districts.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) adopted Learning or Laboratory districts approach under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) from which good and replicable practices would be demonstrated and the most successful model would be upscaled in other districts of the Country as well. Dhubri district in Assam is one among the ten Lab Districts in the Country selected for the RKSK programme. The objective of the day long consultation was to identify the platforms and opportunities for convergent programming among various departments working for adolescents and develop action plan to be implemented as a pilot in the Dhubri District. The model framework needs to be prepared for implementing the RKSK programme in Dhubri District. Hence, the NHM, Assam is looking for support from other intersector departments to make the RKSK programme successful. A convergence model anchored at the district by the Deputy Commissioner has been planned to be implemented. The District Children and Adolescent Cell to be set up at DC’s office who would act as a single window for convergence of NHM, Assam with Education, Nutrition, WASH and Child Protection related departments in the district. The District Adolescent Cell will engage in a partnership with local CSOs that will support community mobilization and training activities in each block of the District.

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