New Delhi: With the highest adolescent population in India, the real challenge for the nation is to provide nutrition, health and education in this segment, especially for girls, according to a UNICEF report.
The report titled ``Adolescence: Age of Opportunities`` was released here on Friday.
The report’s focus was on the health, nutrition, and educational conditions of adolescents in India.
Lawmaker Naveen Jindal, Karin Hulshof, Representative of UNICEF India and D. K. Sikri, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, attended the event.
Highlighting the improved health and development of the country’s adolescent population, Jindal said rapid economic growth in the past two decades has helped better the condition of adolescents in India.
He acknowledged that despite the improved scenario, disparities between girls and boys still remain.
Anemia was found to be a major health problem for Indian female adolescents.
Jindal said: “We have seen that parents, they try to feed the boys better, than the girl, which must change. Adolescent girls in India are the most vulnerable. About 56 percent girls in India in the age group of 15-19 are anemic.”
Karin Hulshof, UNICEF India Representative, said: “ The available data shows that maximum adolescence today, do not get to enjoy or have access to quality education, basic sexual reproductive health care, support for mental health issue and disability and protection from violence, abuse and exploitation and a forum for their participation.”
“ Worldwide, one third of all new HIV cases involve young people between the ages of 15-24. The risk of HIV is considerably higher amongst the adolescent females and young women than adolescent males and young men," he added.
DK Sikri, Ministry of Women and Child Development Secretary, said that girls were the core source of India’s growth, therefore their progress needs to be given importance.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.