Nadda unveils healthcare programme for children up to three years

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) at the 16th Conference of the Central Council of H...

What Happened

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) at the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) in New Delhi on June 28, 2026.
SSBSK is a unified child healthcare programme covering children from birth to 36 months (3 years), consolidating the earlier Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC) programmes into a single framework.
For the first time, the programme introduces a risk-stratified approach — at-risk newborns receive up to nine home visits within the first 42 days, while at-risk children receive up to eight home visits through age 36 months.
Home visits are conducted jointly by ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives), Community Health Officers (CHOs), and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).
The programme incorporates post-partum maternal mental health screening, Early Childhood Development (ECD) nurturing care, Well-Baby Sessions at Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs), and monthly Shishu Shivirs at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
Digital infrastructure includes Decision-Support Systems, child-tracking applications, and integration with platforms such as JANANI, U-WIN, and POSHAN Tracker, using ABHA and Baal-ABHA identification numbers.

Static Topic Bridges

National Health Mission (NHM) and Community Health Workers

The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched in 2005 (as National Rural Health Mission, NRHM; renamed NHM in 2013 when the urban component was added). It is the overarching government framework under which child and maternal health programmes are implemented. ASHA workers — the frontline community health volunteer cadre — were introduced under NRHM to bridge the gap between communities and the public health system. ASHAs receive performance-based incentives for activities such as newborn home visits and facilitating institutional deliveries.

NHM has two sub-missions: National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
ASHAs are selected from within the community (one per 1,000 population in rural areas) and serve as the first point of contact between the community and the health system.
HBNC (Home-Based Newborn Care) was introduced under NHM and involved ASHA visits on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after birth for normal newborns.

Connection to this news: SSBSK supersedes HBNC and HBYC, extending and intensifying the home-visit model with risk stratification, so UPSC may test the new visit schedule and the programme's broader scope versus its predecessors.

Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and Child Health Screening

RBSK was launched in February 2013 under NHM as a comprehensive child health screening programme covering children from birth to 18 years. It addresses the "4Ds" — Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays (including disabilities). Newborn screening under RBSK (birth to 6 weeks) is conducted by ASHAs as part of the HBNC package. Mobile Health Teams (MHTs) screen children at Anganwadi Centres (0–6 years) and schools (6–18 years). Referral is made to District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) for further management.

RBSK has screened over 160 crore children since 2014–15 (as of 2023–24).
Over 11,821 mobile health teams operate at block level.
More than 5.63 crore children have received secondary/tertiary care through RBSK referrals.

Connection to this news: SSBSK operates in the 0–36 month age band that overlaps with RBSK's birth-to-6-year segment. The two programmes are complementary: SSBSK focuses on home-based risk identification and nurturing care, while RBSK focuses on screening via mobile health teams and DEICs.

Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Health and Wellness Centres)

Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) were launched under Ayushman Bharat in 2018 to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare at the sub-centre and primary health centre (PHC) level. In September 2023, HWCs were renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandir with the tagline Arogyam Parmam Dhanam. The target was to operationalise 1,50,000 such centres across India to deliver an expanded package of 12 services including maternal and child health, non-communicable disease (NCD) screening, mental health, palliative care, and oral health.

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs serve as the first touchpoint for comprehensive primary care under Ayushman Bharat.
They are manned by Community Health Officers (CHOs), including mid-level health providers trained under B.Sc. Community Health.
Free essential drugs and diagnostics are provided at these centres.

Connection to this news: Monthly "Shishu Shivir" camps for at-risk child assessment are to be held at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, integrating SSBSK's community-based care into the existing Ayushman Bharat primary care architecture.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Constitutional/Policy Basis

Article 21A of the Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14. Article 45 (as amended by the 86th Constitutional Amendment, 2002) directs the State to provide early childhood care and education for all children below the age of six. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as foundational for cognitive, social, and emotional development, especially for children in the 0–8 year age band.

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission), launched in 2018, targets stunting, undernutrition, and anaemia among children under 6 through convergent action involving health, ICDS, and water-sanitation sectors.
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), operating since 1975, is the world's largest community-based programme for early childhood care.
ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) — a 14-digit health ID — and Baal-ABHA (for children) enable longitudinal digital health records.

Connection to this news: SSBSK's integration of nurturing care, responsive caregiving, and age-appropriate learning aligns ECCE policy goals with frontline health delivery for the critical 0–3 year window, a period of maximum brain development.

Key Facts & Data

SSBSK targets children from birth to 36 months (3 years).
At-risk newborns: up to 9 home visits in the first 42 days.
At-risk children (0–36 months): up to 8 home visits through age 3.
Launched at the 16th CCHFW Conference, New Delhi, June 28, 2026.
Consolidates two earlier programmes: HBNC (Home-Based Newborn Care) and HBYC (Home-Based Care for Young Child).
Community delivery cadre: ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs, and AWWs (joint visits).
Digital integration: JANANI, U-WIN, POSHAN Tracker, ABHA, Baal-ABHA.
Monthly Shishu Shivirs to be held at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for at-risk child assessment.
RBSK (launched February 2013) covers 0–18 years and has screened 160+ crore children since 2014–15.
NEP 2020 and Article 45 (86th Amendment, 2002) form the constitutional basis for ECCE.