The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), launched in February 2013 by India's Ministry of Health, aims to improve child health through screening and early intervention from birth to 18 years. The program targets 30 health conditions and involves mobile health teams conducting screenings in communities and schools, with an emphasis on early identification of defects, deficiencies, diseases, and developmental delays. District Early Intervention Centers (DEIC) will provide referral support for detected health issues, ensuring comprehensive care for affected children.

1. RBSK
VIJAY KUMAR
COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
PGIMER, CHANDIGARH

3. The Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare, Government
of India, under the National
Health Mission launched the
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya
Karyakram (RBSK) on
February, 2013 an innovative
and ambitious initiative,
which envisages Child Health
Screening and Early
Intervention Services

4. WHY NEED RBSK
To reduce mortality rate in children through:-
Child heath screening and early intervention services
Early identification and early intervention for children from
birth to 18 years to cover 4 ‘D’s viz.
Defects at birth, Deficiencies, Diseases, Development delays
including disability.

5. Health conditions to be screened
Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services under RBSK envisages to
cover 30 selected health conditions for Screening, early detection and free
management.

6. Target group under Child Health Screening and
Intervention Service Categories
Categories Age group Estimate coverage
Babies born at public
health
facilities and home
Birth to 6 weeks 2 crores
Preschool children in
rural areas and
urban slum
6weeks to 6 years 8 crores
School children
enrolled in class 1st
and 12th in
government and
government aided
schools
6yrs to 18 yrs 17 crores

7. Programme implementation
For Newborn
 facility based new born screening at public
health facilities like PHCs / CHCs/ DH, will
be by existing health manpower like
Medical Officers, Staff Nurses & ANMs
 the community level screening will be
conducted by the Mobile health teams at
Anganwadi Centres and Government and
Government aided Schools.
Mechanisms for screening at Community & Facility
level:

8. For Children
Screening at Anganwadi Centre:
 All pre-school children below 6 years of
age would be screened by Mobile Block
Health teams for deficiencies, diseases,
developmental delays including disability
at the
 Anganwadi centre at least twice a year
 For developmental delays children ( 0
to 6 years) would be screened using
age specific tools specific and those
suspected would be referred to DEIC
for further management.

9. For Children 6 to 18 years
Screening at Schools- Government and Government aided:
 School children age
6 to 18 years would
be screened by
Mobile Health
teams for
 deficiencies,
diseases,
developmental
delays including
disability,
adolescent health at
the local schools at
least once a year
 The tool used is questionnaire (preferably
translated to local or regional language) and
clinical examination.

10. Composition of mobile health team:
At least two dedicated Mobile health team in each
block
 2 :- AYUSH MO ( 1 male, 1 female)
 1 :- ANM/Staff nurse
 1 :- Pharmacist

11. District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC)
 The early intervention centers are to be established at the District Hospital
level across the
 country as District Early Intervention Centers (DEIC).
 The purpose of DEIC is to provide referral
 support to children detected with health conditions during health
screening, primarily for
 children up to 6 years of age group.
 A team consisting of Pediatrician, Medical officer, Staff Nurses,
Paramedics will be engaged to
 provide services