New Delhi, June 29: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda will preside over the 16th conference of the Central Health and Family Welfare Council (CCHFW) in the national capital on Monday. The conference aims to strengthen child health and review key public health issues, featuring discussions on several important topics.
During the conference, the minister will also launch the Comprehensive Child Health Program (SSBSK). This national initiative seeks to provide uninterrupted health services to children from birth to 36 months.
The event will take place at Vigyan Bhawan, with participation from health ministers of states and union territories, MPs, and senior officials from both central and state governments. Key issues related to the National Health Mission (NHM), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), food and drug reforms, and associated health services will be discussed.
According to an official statement, the launch of SSBSK represents a significant step in the government’s commitment to ensuring comprehensive, accessible, and quality health services for every child in the country.
The program envisions a seamless system of home and community-based care for children from birth to 36 months. The first three years of life are considered crucial for a child’s survival, development, nutrition, and early brain development.
SSBSK will function as an integrated national program, combining two major community-based initiatives: Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC).
This integration will ensure continuity of care for children from birth to the first three years of life. Additionally, it aims to enhance child survival, nutrition, healthy development, and early childhood development through a unified approach.
For the first time, a risk-based system will be implemented under this program for newborns and “at-risk” children. These children will receive additional home health services and follow-ups based on their risk levels.
Under the program, “at-risk” newborns will receive health services at home up to nine times within the first 42 days after birth, while “at-risk” children will receive home health services up to eight times until they reach 36 months of age.
The program will also strengthen continuity of care through services provided door-to-door by ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Community Health Officers (CHOs), and Anganwadi workers (AWWs).
Moreover, well-baby sessions will be conducted at each Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Day (VHSND), and infant camps will be organized monthly at Ayushman Health Centers to ensure timely identification, assessment, and treatment of “at-risk” children.
Digital technologies such as Decision Support Systems (DSS), Child Tracking Applications, referral systems, and alert mechanisms will be utilized in the program, enhancing monitoring, follow-up, and continuity of health services for mothers and children.
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