Sonia to launch universal health screening of children

The programme will be launched under the National Rural Health Mission of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tomorrow by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Palghar, a tribal block in Thane district of Maharashtra.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will also be present.

The scheme is aimed at improving overall quality of life of children through early detection of birth defects, diseases and deficiencies, which are among key factors for child mortality and out of pocket expenditure for poor families, as well as development delays including disability .

Birth defects account for 9.6 per cent of all new-born deaths and 4 per cent of under five mortality.

According to the 2006 March of Dimes Global Report on Birth Defects, out of every 100 babies born in this country every year, 6 to 7 have a birth defect. In Indian context, this would translate to 17 lakhs birth defects annually.

Development delays affect at least 10 per cent children and if not intercepted timely may lead to permanent disabilities including cognitive, hearing or vision.

According to the programme, a set of thirty common conditions have been identified for screening and further management of child health.

These services are built on the existing school health services and will be provided through dedicated mobile health teams placed in every block who will comprise of four health personnel including two AYUSH doctors, an ANM and a pharmacist.

The teams will carry out screening of all the children in the age group 0