Karnataka makes audit of adolescent pregnancies mandatory

In a move aimed at strengthening adolescent health and addressing early pregnancies, the State government has made it mandatory to audit all adolescent pregnancy cases involving girls aged 10 to 18 years.

A Government Order (GO) issued on Tuesday said the audit will be carried out by the respective Taluk Health Officers (THOs) across the State, covering all such cases reported through both government and private health establishments.

Adolescent pregnancy continues to be a significant public health and social concern, with implications for maternal health, neonatal outcomes and long-term socio-economic development. Pregnancies in this age group are associated with higher risks of complications, adverse birth outcomes, school dropout and increased social vulnerability. Citing global estimates, officials noted that nearly half of adolescent pregnancies are unintended.

Last week, the Health Department had directed private hospitals to mandatorily report cases of minor pregnancies under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences  (POCSO) Act, warning that failure to do so will invite legal action against both doctors and hospital managements.

The April 7 GO stated that while programmes such as the National Health Mission (NHM) and the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) focus on adolescent health through counselling, awareness and access to services, the persistence of teenage pregnancies points to gaps that require systematic review.

RCH platform

Under the new framework, all adolescent pregnancies must be mandatorily reported on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) platform. The audit will examine factors such as age at marriage, educational status, awareness of reproductive health, access to contraception and counselling services, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. It will also assess linkages with schemes such as RKSK, ICDS and school health programmes.

At the taluk level, an audit committee headed by the THO will be set up, with members including the Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre, health inspectors, ASHA supervisors, anganwadi supervisors and, where applicable, school representatives.

Post audit measures

Based on the findings, the health system will undertake measures including counselling through designated centres, provision of contraceptive services and pregnancy testing kits, and identification of vulnerable adolescents such as school dropouts, migrants and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The order also called for counselling support, including guidance on medical termination of pregnancy in accordance with programme guidelines.

Monitoring will be carried out by the District Health Officer at the district level and the Deputy Director under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) at the State level. Authorities have been tasked with classifying cases as preventable or non-preventable and recommending corrective measures. Periodic reviews will be conducted by Deputy Commissioners at the district level and the Mission Director of NHM at the State level.

The GO emphasised that all cases must be handled with strict confidentiality and in compliance with legal provisions, including child protection laws.

The initiative will be implemented within the existing framework and budgets of NHM and RKSK, and will not entail any additional financial burden on the State, the GO added.