New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) 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 Monday.

During 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 age.

The 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 services.

According to an official statement, the launch of the SSBSK marks a significant milestone in advancing the government’s commitment to ensuring comprehensive, accessible and quality healthcare for every child across the country.

The programme envisages providing a seamless continuum of home and community-based 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 development.

The SSBSK will serve as a unified national programme by consolidating the two flagship community-based initiatives, Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC), into a single comprehensive framework.

By 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 approach.

For the first time, the programme will introduce a risk-stratified approach for newborns and children identified as “At-risk”. These children will receive intensified follow-up through additional home visits based on their level of risk.

Under the programme, “At-risk” newborns will receive up to nine home visits during the first 42 days after birth, while “At-risk” children will receive up to eight home visits up to 36 months of age.

The 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 (AWWs).

In addition, SSBSK will introduce Well-Baby 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 “At-risk” children.

The programme will incorporate post-partum maternal mental health screening as a structured component of community-based 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, age-appropriate play, child safety and greater family engagement.

According to the statement, the programme will leverage digital technologies through Decision-Support Systems (DSS), child-tracking applications, referral loops, and alert mechanisms to strengthen monitoring, improve follow-up, and ensure continuity of care for mothers and children.

–IANS

rs/