Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and the '4Ds'
The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), launched in February 2013 under the National Health Mission, is a child health screening and early intervention programme. Its defining feature is the systematic screening of children (birth to 18 years) for the '4Ds':
- Defects at birth (e.g., neural tube defects, cleft lip/palate, congenital cataract, clubfoot, congenital heart disease)
- Deficiencies (e.g., vitamin A/D deficiency, severe acute malnutrition, anaemia)
- Diseases (e.g., otitis media, rheumatic heart disease, dental caries, skin conditions)
- Development delays including Disabilities (e.g., vision/hearing impairment, neuro-motor and cognitive delays, autism, learning disorders)
Screening is carried out at Anganwadi centres and schools by dedicated Mobile Health Teams, with confirmed cases referred through District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) for free management, including tertiary care and surgery. The '4Ds' framework is therefore a defining, named element unique to RBSK.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
- IMNCI (Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness): A case-management strategy for treating common childhood illnesses (diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, malnutrition) in children under 5 and neonates. It does not use a '4Ds' screening framework.
- ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme): A broader scheme delivering supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-ups, and pre-school education through Anganwadi centres. It supports overall child development but has no '4Ds' identification component of its own — RBSK screening is in fact conducted at ICDS Anganwadi centres, not the reverse.
- JSSK (Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram): Guarantees free and cashless delivery services (including caesarean section) and free treatment for sick newborns and infants up to one year, covering costs like drugs, diagnostics, diet, and transport. It is an entitlement scheme for cashless care, not a screening programme, and has no '4Ds' concept.
Since the '4Ds' (Defects at birth, Deficiencies, Diseases, Development delays/Disabilities) are the specific and defining screening framework of RBSK, Option 4 — RBSK (Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram) is the correct answer.
Important Questions from National Child Health Programmes
Which of the following are correct regarding activities under the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme?
1. Administration of supervised weekly iron-folic acid supplements of 100 mg elemental iron and 500 $\mu$g folic acid
2. Administration of supervised weekly iron-folic acid supplements of 60 mg elemental iron and 0.5 mg folic acid
3. Biannual de-worming with albenzadole
4. Annual de-worming with albendazole
Select the answer using the code given below :
Under the Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness, caretakers are advised to return immediately to a health facility, if
1. Any sick child is not able to drink or breast feed.
2. Fast breathing or difficult breathing, in a child who has no pneumonia
3. Blood in stool, in a child with diarrhoea
4. Conjunctivitis in a child with measles
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- Which one of the following statements is correct regarding the Government of India program 'Home-based care of the young child' ?
- Which one of the following is the correct schedule for home visits by an Accredited Social Health Activist for facility-born newborn babies?
The specific goals for 2025 under the integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) are all of the following EXCEPT:
