Providing Services for Indian Children With Developmental Delay and Disabilities in the Community: Rashtriya Bal...

Investment in Early Childhood Development (ECD) is essential for the progress of a nation. In 2013, the Rashtriya Bal Suraksha Karyakram (RBSK) was launched for community level screening, early identification and management of chronic diseases (birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, developmental delays and disabilities) from birth to 18 years. Health care is provided in District hospitals with Special Newborn Care Units, and District Early Intervention Centers (DEIC). Infants are screened at delivery points, or at home under the Home-Based New-born Care package. Pre-schoolers and school aged children are evaluated by mobile health teams using standardized tools in anganwadi centers and schools, respectively. Referrals are managed at higher centers. The DEIC uses an evidence based, trans-disciplinary, collaborative approach for delay/disability at zero expense. Other initiatives disseminating awareness about healthy family practices promoting ECD during pregnancy and the first two years of life include: a booklet 'Journey of First 1000 days'; an android App 'Ayushman Bhava'; ECD call centers that provide individualized counselling related to queries; the LaQshya program that promotes mother-friendly labour; and a more illustrative 'Mother and Child Protection Card' that assists in developmental monitoring. Till date, RBSK has developed two Nodal Collaborating Centers (the Kolkata centre has trained 852 personnel), 234 DEIC's, and 11,000 mobile health teams. Over 6 years (2014 -2020), cumulatively 45,64,31,984 children < 6 years have been screened, 13,95,618 delays /disabilities identified, and 3,04,300 children managed appropriately. The future holds further expansion, development of state-of-the-art specialized centers, collaborative research, and self-sustaining capacity building of multi-disciplinary personnel.