Published Aug 05, 2026 | 5:03 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 05, 2026 | 5:03 PM
Among the measures proposed are integrating menopause screening through Karnataka's Gruha Arogya programme .
Synopsis: Karnataka is planning to integrate menopause care into its public health system, marking the first such attempt by a government. An expert committee will develop a programme covering awareness, screening, counselling and dedicated clinics. The initiative aims to address an overlooked health issue affecting millions of Indian women, who typically reach menopause earlier than the global average.
Karnataka is set to become the first state in India to integrate menopause care into its public health system, marking a significant shift in how women’s midlife health is addressed. The state has constituted an expert committee to develop a comprehensive menopause care programme that could eventually serve as a model for the rest of the country.
The initiative comes amid growing recognition that millions of Indian women experience menopause with little awareness, delayed diagnosis and limited access to healthcare, despite often facing symptoms that can affect their physical, mental and social well-being.
The expert committee will be chaired by Dr Jyotsna Mirlay and include members from the Indian Menopause Society, along with specialists in nutrition and psychiatry.
According to the proposal, the programme will focus on creating awareness about perimenopause –the transitional phase before menopause– and menopause itself, while integrating screening and counselling into the state’s existing public health infrastructure.
Among the measures proposed are integrating menopause screening through Karnataka’s Gruha Arogya programme, breast and bone health screening at taluk and district hospitals, nutrition and lifestyle counselling, training for ASHAs, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and medical officers.
The proposal also include setting up dedicated midlief women’s health clinics which would be held weekly or monthly depending on local requirements.
The proposal follows discussions between the expert group and Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader, who has reportedly expressed support for the initiative. According to the committee members, the minister has also indicated that he would present the model to the Union Government for consideration as a template for other states.
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Former Lok Sabha MP Divya Spandana, who participated in the discussions, announced the development in a post on X.
“Karnataka is set to become the first state in India to bring menopause into its public health system,” she wrote.
She said one of the strongest arguments for the initiative is that Indian women reach menopause at around 46 years of age, nearly five years earlier than the global average of 51 years, yet most undergo the transition without adequate information or structured medical support.
“Most go through it without ever being told what is happening to them,” she said.
Describing the meeting with the health minister, Spandana said, “What struck me most was his openness. Menopause is not an easy subject to raise in a government meeting, and it is rare to find someone who listens without discomfort and grasps immediately why it matters. He did not need convincing that the gap exists.”
She added that the expert committee would bring together specialists from the Indian Menopause Society, nutrition and psychiatry to develop the programme.
“I came to this trying to understand my own body better. I met Dr Mirlay, and we found we agreed on the thing that matters most, women deserve to know what is happening to them, and that has to reach rural Karnataka, not only the cities,” she wrote.
Karnataka is set to become the first state in India to bring menopause into its public health system.
Indian women reach menopause at around 46- nearly five years earlier than the global average of 51. Most go through it without ever being told what is happening to them.
Dr… pic.twitter.com/EU0PCW9xoJ
— Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) August 5, 2026
The proposed programme reflects growing concern over menopause as an overlooked public health issue in India. While menopause is a natural biological process marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years, it is often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, anxiety, depression, memory problems, joint pain and vaginal dryness. The decline in oestrogen levels also increases the long-term risk of osteoporosis, fractures and cardiovascular diseases.
Public health experts have long argued that menopause receives far less attention than reproductive and maternal health, leaving many women to dismiss symptoms as a normal part of ageing or suffer in silence without medical advice. By incorporating menopause into primary healthcare, Karnataka aims to enable earlier identification of symptoms, improve counselling, promote healthy ageing and reduce the long-term burden of preventable complications among middle-aged women.
(Edited by Fayisa)
