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The Union Ministry of Health released revised guidelines for the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) 2.0. The updated programme expands child health screening beyond the traditional “4Ds” to include developmental disorders, mental health issues and lifestyle‑related risks like obesity and hypertension.
Background
RBSK, launched in 2013, provides free early screening and intervention for children from birth to 18 years to detect defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies and developmental delays. More than 160 crore screenings have been carried out so far. RBSK 2.0 takes a life‑cycle approach and introduces digital tracking.
- Scope expansion: besides physical conditions, the revised guidelines mandate screening for developmental disorders, behavioural and mental health concerns, autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities.
- Lifestyle risks: children will be assessed for early signs of obesity, diabetes and hypertension to address non‑communicable disease (NCD) risk factors at a young age.
- Digital health cards: each child will receive a digital health card linked to a real‑time data system. This will help track growth parameters and treatment across different stages of childhood.
- Delivery mechanism: mobile health teams will continue visiting anganwadi centres and schools. The programme stresses coordination with education and social welfare departments.
By broadening the screening package, RBSK 2.0 aims to catch developmental and lifestyle‑related issues early, ensuring timely intervention. Digitalisation is expected to improve monitoring, reduce paperwork and provide longitudinal health records for every child.
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