‘Investing in adolescent health crucial for reducing Rajasthan’s teenage pregnancies’

Study finds benefit-cost ratio calculation points to very high potential for gains from interventions

Amid the high prevalence of child marriages, reducing teenage pregnancies continues to be the biggest challenge in addressing issues related to the reproductive health of adolescents in Rajasthan. Since more than one-third of the girls get married before 18 years, and 6.3% of girls in the age group of 15 to 19 years are already mothers or are pregnant, investment in sexual and reproductive health is crucial for the State.

With these findings, a new study titled “Returns on Investment in Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in Rajasthan” has calculated the benefit-cost ratio to conclude that for every ₹100 spent on meeting the unmet needs of adolescents, there will be a return of approximately ₹300 in terms of healthcare costs saved. This indicates very high potential for gains in health, and economic gains, from the interventions.