New Delhi : Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The new initiative aims to strengthen newborn and child healthcare services by ensuring continuous home and community-based care for children from birth up to 36 months. The programme reflects the government’s vision of “Pehle Teen Saal Sampoorna Dekhbhal” (Complete Care During the First Three Years), recognising the importance of early childhood for survival, nutrition, healthy growth and brain development.
Unified Child Healthcare Programme
The SSBSK will bring together two existing flagship programmes—Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC)—under a single national framework. The integration is intended to provide uninterrupted healthcare support during the critical first three years of a child’s life.
Officials said the unified programme will improve child survival, nutritional outcomes, healthy development and early childhood care through a coordinated service delivery model.
Special Focus on At-Risk Children
A key feature of SSBSK is the introduction of a risk-based care model for newborns and young children identified as “at-risk.”
Under the programme:
- At-risk newborns will receive up to nine home visits during their first 42 days.
- At-risk children will receive up to eight home visits until they reach 36 months of age.
These additional visits are expected to ensure early detection of health concerns and timely interventions.
Stronger Community-Based Care
The initiative will encourage coordinated home visits by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Community Health Officers (CHOs) and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to improve healthcare delivery at the grassroots level.
It will also introduce Well-Baby Sessions during every Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND), along with monthly Shishu Shivirs at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for the screening, assessment and management of at-risk children.
Mental Health and Early Childhood Development
For the first time, the programme will include post-partum maternal mental health screening as a structured component of community-based healthcare.
SSBSK will also integrate nurturing care practices into every home visit by promoting responsive parenting, early learning, age-appropriate play, child safety and active family participation to support overall child development.
Digital Integration for Better Monitoring
The programme will make extensive use of digital technologies, including Decision Support Systems (DSS), child tracking applications, referral mechanisms and automated alerts to strengthen monitoring and service delivery.
It will be linked with key government digital platforms such as the JANANI Portal, U-WIN Portal, MPCDSR Portal, RBSK 2.0 Portal and POSHAN Tracker, enabling seamless data sharing through ABHA and Baal-ABHA IDs.
Special strategies have also been planned to improve home-based child healthcare services in urban slums, migrant communities and other underserved areas.
Addressing Challenges of the Digital Age
The guidelines also acknowledge the growing impact of excessive screen time on young children. The programme promotes age-appropriate physical activity, play and mental stimulation while encouraging reduced screen exposure to support healthy brain development, emotional well-being and social skills.
With the launch of Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram, the government aims to strengthen maternal and child healthcare services and move closer to its goal of ensuring equitable, accessible and quality healthcare for every mother and child as part of the vision of Viksit Bharat.