Nadda to launch national child healthcare programme SSBSK today

In a major push to strengthen child healthcare and review key public health priorities Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda will chair the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare CCHFW in the national capital on MondayDuring the conference the minister will also launch the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram SSBSK a comprehensive national programme aimed at providing seamless healthcare services to children from birth up to 36 months of ageThe conference to be held at Vigyan Bhawan will be attended by Health Ministers from states and Union Territories Members of Parliament and senior officials from the central and state governments Discussions will focus on key issues related to the National Health Mission Sustainable Development Goals SDGs food and drug reforms and allied health servicesAccording to an official statement the launch of the SSBSK marks a significant milestone in advancing the governmentrsquos commitment to ensuring comprehensive accessible and quality healthcare for every child across the countryThe programme envisages providing a seamless continuum of home and communitybased care for children from birth to 36 months of age It recognises the critical importance of the first three years of life for child survival growth nutrition and early brain developmentThe SSBSK will serve as a unified national programme by consolidating the two flagship communitybased initiatives HomeBased Newborn Care HBNC and HomeBased Care for Young Child HBYC into a single comprehensive frameworkBy integrating these programmes SSBSK aims to ensure continuity of care from birth through the first three years of life strengthening child survival nutrition healthy growth and early childhood development through an integrated approachFor the first time the programme will introduce a riskstratified approach for newborns and children identified as ldquoAtriskrdquo These children will receive intensified followup through additional home visits based on their level of riskUnder the programme ldquoAtriskrdquo newborns will receive up to nine home visits during the first 42 days after birth while ldquoAtriskrdquo children will receive up to eight home visits up to 36 months of ageThe programme will also strengthen continuity of care through joint home visits by Accredited Social Health Activists ASHAs Auxiliary Nurse Midwives ANMs Community Health Officers CHOs and Anganwadi Workers AWWsIn addition SSBSK will introduce WellBaby Sessions during every Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day VHSND and a monthly Shishu Shivir at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for the early identification assessment and management of ldquoAtriskrdquo childrenThe programme will incorporate postpartum maternal mental health screening as a structured component of communitybased care It will also integrate nurturing care for Early Childhood Development ECD across all home visits and community interactions by promoting responsive caregiving early learning ageappropriate play child safety and greater family engagementAccording to the statement the programme will leverage digital technologies through DecisionSupport Systems DSS childtracking applications referral loops and alert mechanisms to strengthen monitoring improve followup and ensure continuity of care for mothers and childrenThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever