NEW DELHI — India is unequivocally committed to the well-being of its adolescents -- the highest in the world -- and is soon set to launch a Co-WIN-like platform for monitoring and identifying health records of children, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Thursday.
"India is on the cusp of launching the U-WIN platform which is modelled after the Co-WIN platform," said Chandra, while speaking at the launch of the "Economic Case for Investment in the Well-being of Adolescents in India" report in the national capital.
The platform "would lead to a transformative impact on not just storing the health records of every child but also in digitising these records as well as in monitoring, identifying and rectifying the challenges that arise", he added.
The report highlights significant improvements in adolescent well-being in India over recent decades, showcasing the government's extensive policies and programmes aimed at promoting the health and well-being of adolescents.
The Health Secretary noted that "India has and will continue to remain steadfast in its commitment to nurturing adolescents' talents".
"India has the largest population of adolescents in the world, 253 million strong, and growing. Our adolescents are the backbone of our future, embodying the promise of a vibrant and progressive nation," Chandra said, noting that the country is "the first to launch the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)".
RKSK is a dedicated programme to "reach out to the 253 million adolescents -- male and female, rural and urban, married and unmarried, in and out-of-school adolescents with special focus on marginalised and under-served groups".
Further, the Health Secretary pointed out several programmes for the well-being of adolescents, such as the School Health and Wellness Programme under Ayushman Bharat and the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene.