About Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram:
- It was launched in 2013 under National Rural Health Mission.
- It is a program to improve the overall quality of life of children and provide comprehensive care to all the children in the community.
- Target Group: This program involves screening of children from birth to 18 years of age for four Ds- Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and Development delays.
- Under this programme, its screening spans 32 common health conditions for early detection and free treatment and management, including surgeries at tertiary level.
- Major strategies followed are:
- Comprehensive newborn screening – at delivery points to screen birth defects of the newborn
- Community screening at the Anganwadi and Government schools for children in the age group 0 -18 years in convergence with Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Education
- Screening of the newborns/infants by ASHA through the HBNC/HBYC program as a part of Early Childhood Development
- Therapeutic management of the identified children at the District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC)
Key Feature of RBSK 2.0
- It has expanded screening scope, covering a wider range of conditions including,
- Developmental disorders, mental health issues, behavioural concerns, lifestyle risks, risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and additional conditions like kidney disorders,
- It has introduces digital health cards, real-time data systems, and integrated platformsfor tracking, monitoring and service delivery.
