New Delhi, 03 May (H.S.):

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the upgraded National Child Health Programme (RBSK 2.0) and released its revised and expanded guidelines during the National Summit on “Best Practices in Public Health Service Delivery” held on Sunday. The initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening children’s health and overall development in the country.

Officials said the core objective of the revised programme is to reinforce the existing “4‑D model” and make it more robust. Under this framework, greater emphasis will be placed on four key areas: Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays, ensuring a structured and integrated approach to early detection and management.

The new guidelines also incorporate contemporary health challenges faced by children today. These include non‑communicable diseases, mental‑health‑related issues, and behavioural disorders, enabling the programme to address not only traditional health problems but also risks arising from changing lifestyles and urban living patterns.

The updated framework integrates a comprehensive spectrum of preventive, promotive, and curative services tailored for children. The programme now covers children from birth up to 18 years of age, aligning with a life‑course‑based approach so that growth, nutrition, and developmental milestones are tracked and supported at every stage.

The Ministry emphasised that successful implementation of these guidelines will require joint action by the Health Ministry, the Education Department, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Schools and Anganwadi centres will be strengthened as primary hubs for screening and awareness‑generation, working together with health facilities to create a seamless child‑health‑care ecosystem across the country.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar