The Centre on Monday launched Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK), a unified national programme that provides a continuum of home and community-based care for every child from birth until they attain three years of age.
The programme, launched by Health Minister JP Nadda, integrates the existing Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC) programmes into a single comprehensive framework.
A key feature of SSBSK is the introduction of a risk-stratified approach for newborns and young children identified as ‘at-risk’ due to conditions such as low birth weight, prematurity, delayed initiation of breastfeeding, discharge from newborn care units, malnutrition, recurrent illness, or developmental delays.
Every newborn at the health facility is assessed for risk factors and classified as either ‘at-risk’ or a ‘well baby’. Among various indicators, weight-for-age is considered the most reliable anthropometric parameter to detect infants under 6 months who may be at risk.
‘At-risk’ newborns are digitally flagged (red) in the JANANI Portal, synchronised with the “Shaishav App”.
They would receive appropriate facility-based care, including admission to the Special Newborn Care Unit where required, followed by structured post-discharge follow-up.
For all newborns delivered and discharged from the facility, ASHA workers will conduct home visits to reassess risk status, provide age-appropriate care and counselling, monitor growth and development, and facilitate timely referral to health facilities.
The programme also addresses the increased screen time of children at home, which the health ministry states is leading to delays in language development, reduced attention span, impaired social interaction and diminished physical activity.
These concerns are no longer limited to urban or affluent settings and are now observed across all socio-economic groups.
The programme states that frontline workers will be oriented to counsel families on preventing children under three years from having minimal screen exposure, particularly during mealtimes, and promoting age-appropriate play and physical activity.
The progress of the implementation of the SSBSK programme will be closely monitored by the health ministry on a quarterly basis.
State child health and community process nodal officers will provide details of the status of ASHA training and equipment related to SSBSK, along with details of the visits and referrals made by them and the total expenditure on Home-Based Newborn Care by the state.
