Progress and challenges in implementing adolescent and school health programmes in India: a rapid review

OBJECTIVES: To review the overall planning, implementation and monitoring of adolescent and school health programmes currently implemented in India and determine if they are in alignment with the indicators for achieving universal health coverage for adolescents in India. METHODS: A rapid review, with key informant interviews and desk review, was conducted using World Health Organization’s tool for Rapid Assessment of Implementation of Adolescent Health and School Health Programmes. Operational guidelines, reports and relevant publications (surveys, policy briefs and meeting proceedings) related to India’s adolescent and school health programmes were reviewed. Key informant interviews were conducted in New Delhi (India) with senior officials from the health and education departments of the Government of India, representatives from the private health sector and civil society organisations. Data were analysed using World Health Organization’s framework for universal health coverage for adolescents and summarised according to the key indicators. RESULTS: Key informant interviews were conducted with 18 participants: four each from health and education department of the government, one clinician from private health sector and nine representatives from civil society organisations. Manuals and operational guidelines of India’s existing adolescent and school health programmes were reviewed. India’s national adolescent and school health programmes align with many priority actions of the World Health Organization’s framework for delivering universal health coverage for adolescents. These programmes require strengthening in their governance and implementation. While adolescent health and school health programmes have robust monitoring frameworks, however, there is a need to strengthen research and policy capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Various national health programmes have targeted adolescents as a priority population. A better translation of these programmes into implementation is needed so that the investments provided by the government offer sufficient opportunities for building collective national action for achieving universal health coverage with adolescents as an important section of the population.