Department of Child and Adolescent Health Promotion Services (NASKO)
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In 2023 the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) launched the new Department of Child and Adolescent Health Promotion Service. The department is located in Levanger and is a national center for the health promoting and disease preventive services for pregnant people, children, adolescents and their families in Norway.
The services are required by law, and offer a broad range of health promotion and disease preventive measures, e.g. prenatal check-ups, administrating the childhood vaccination program, well child check ups, school health services and youth health clinics.
Background for the establishment of a new department
To strengthen expertise, professional development, and research in the municipals’ maternity and child health clinics, school health services, and youth health clinics, the Norwegian government funded the establishment of a highly demanded national center for these services by a yearly funding of 15 MNOK starting in 2021.
The goal of the center is to produce research as a basis for evidence-based health promotion and preventive services for pregnant people, children, young people, and their parents, as well as to support the municipalities in adopting the best available knowledge in professional and service development. Evaluation of interventions and working strategies in the Norwegian child and adolescent health promotion services are central to the departments work, together with supporting best practice in the primary health care for pregnant people, children, adolescents, and their families.
The competence center is located at Nord University in Levanger, campus Røstad.
