Home / Health / Rajasthan Launches New Child Health Program
Rajasthan Launches New Child Health Program
7 Oct
Summary
- New child health program targets children from birth to 36 months.
- Focuses on continuous home and community-based healthcare.
- Integrates maternal mental health into home-based care.
Rajasthan has launched a pilot for India's new national child health programme, the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK), in Alwar and Bharatpur for the 2026-27 period. This initiative provides continuous home and community-based healthcare for children from birth up to 36 months of age.
The program enhances existing care models by integrating the Home-Based Newborn Care and Home-Based Care for Young Child programmes. A key innovation is risk-stratified care, identifying vulnerable newborns and young children for intensified follow-up and support.
Furthermore, the SSBSK strengthens collaboration with primary health centers, involving ASHAs, anganwadi workers, and health officers. Maternal mental health has been newly incorporated, with frontline health workers trained to identify and counsel mothers with postnatal mental health concerns.
