Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)

Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)

The early screening of a newborn starts at birth by the existing medical officers, nurses and ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) followed by ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) from 48 hours till the child is 6 weeks old. This is a part of the Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) scheme (2011) that incentivizes ASHAs for making visits to the newborns and their mothers to reduce cases of neonatal mortality. After 6 weeks, the children are managed by dedicated mobile block level teams till 6 years and thereafter at schools.

Target Age Groups Covered

Children under 0-6 years of age along with those enrolled in classes I to XII in Government and Government-aided schools are covered under the RBSK scheme. The targeted groups are further subdivided into three categories owing to the fact that they necessitate the use of different sets of tools and might have different priorities. About 27 crore children are expected to be reached in a phased manner under the RBSK scheme. The subcategories are as follows:

Health conditions to be screened

30 selected health conditions are covered under the Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services of the RBSK. Additionally, diseases like hypothyroidism, Sickle cell anaemia and Beta Thalassemia can also be included by States and UTs based on the epidemiological situation and the availability of necessary facilities for testing and support. The following table enlists the selected health conditions as classified under the 4 D’:

Screening process at Community & Facility level

The screening mechanism under the RBSK is divided into two types, one done at the facility level at Public Health Centres/ Community Health Centres/Digital Hospitals by medical practitioners, and the other done at the community level. Mobile health teams at Anganwadi centres and Government and Government-aided schools help in screening at the community level.

Screening at Anganwadi Centre

Children below the age of 6 are screened by the Mobile Health Teams for deficiencies, diseases, developmental delays including disability at the Anganwadi centres at least twice a year. Pictorial job aids are used for the screening of developmental delays including disability. Those suspected of a delay in development are referred to the DEIC for further management.

Screening at Government and Government aided Schools

Children between the ages of 6-18 years are screened for deficiencies, diseases, developmental delays including disability and adolescent health at the local schools at least once a year. The tools used here are mostly questionnaires (preferably translated to a local language) and clinical examinations.

Mobile health team composition

The mobile health team consists of four members as mentioned in the table below:

Conclusion

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