Pediatrics
National Health Programs
Maternal and child health programmes for MBBS: ICDS, RBSK, Mission Indradhanush, National Health Mission targets and Ayushman Bharat, mapped to NMC codes PE17.1 and PE17.2.
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National Health Programs
Maternal and child health programmes for MBBS: ICDS, RBSK, Mission Indradhanush, National Health Mission targets and Ayushman Bharat, mapped to NMC codes PE17.1 and PE17.2.
This chapter covers the major national health programmes for maternal and child health under the National Health Mission, including Integrated Child Development Services, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Mission Indradhanush and Ayushman Bharat. It emphasises programme components, targets and monitoring indicators.
High-yield: National Health Programs
- The National Health Mission is the umbrella programme delivering maternal and child health through vision, goals, strategies and monitored outcomes.
- The four Ds screened under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram are Defects at birth, Deficiencies, Diseases and Developmental delays including disabilities.
- The six services of the Integrated Child Development Services are supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education.
- The Integrated Child Development Services, launched in 1975, is the world's largest early childhood development programme, delivered through about 1.4 million Anganwadi Centres.
- Mission Indradhanush targets children and pregnant women not reached by routine immunisation and aims for 90 percent full immunisation coverage; it is catch-up, not a replacement schedule.
- A mid-upper arm circumference below 11.5 centimetres is the admission threshold for a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre.
- F-75 starter formula is used in the stabilisation phase and F-100 in the rehabilitation phase at Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres.
- Albendazole is the deworming drug under the National Deworming Day, 400 milligrams for children 2 years and above and 200 milligrams for those aged 1 to 2 years.
- Vitamin A supplementation starts at 9 months with the measles-rubella vaccine and continues 6-monthly up to 5 years.
- The National Health Mission aims for an infant mortality rate below 25 per 1,000 live births and a maternal mortality ratio below 70 per 100,000 live births.
- NFHS-5 reported full immunisation coverage of about 76 percent in children aged 12 to 23 months.
- Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres provide free primary care through community health officers, distinct from PM-JAY.
- PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) provides hospitalisation insurance cover of about 5 lakh rupees per family per year at empanelled hospitals.
- Rotavirus vaccine was introduced nationally in phases from 2016 and PCV from 2017, both fully publicly funded under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
Key national programme facts
- **ICDS (1975):** Six services via ~1.4 million Anganwadi Centres; world's largest such programme.
- **RBSK four Ds:** Defects at birth, Deficiencies, Diseases, Developmental delays.
- **Mission Indradhanush:** Catch-up immunisation targeting 90% full coverage.
- **NHM targets:** IMR below 25 and MMR below 70 per relevant denominator.
NMC competencies in this chapter
- **PE17.1:** National Health Mission and key maternal and child health programmes: vision, goals, strategies and plan of action
- **PE17.2:** Outcomes and monitoring and evaluation of the National Health Mission
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four Ds of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram?
The four Ds screened under RBSK are Defects at birth, Deficiencies, Diseases and Developmental delays including disabilities, with children referred onward to District Early Intervention Centres.
What are the six services of ICDS?
The six services of the Integrated Child Development Services are supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education, delivered through Anganwadi Centres.
What is the aim of Mission Indradhanush?
Mission Indradhanush targets children and pregnant women not reached by the routine immunisation schedule and aims to raise full immunisation coverage to 90 percent. It is a catch-up drive, not a replacement of the UIP schedule.
How does Ayushman Bharat differ between HWC and PM-JAY?
Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres provide free primary care at the community level through community health officers, whereas PM-JAY provides hospitalisation insurance of about 5 lakh rupees per family per year at empanelled hospitals.
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