SRINAGAR: The Government of India, through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has introduced a series of initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of women and children under the Scheme for Maternal and Child Health, which is part of the broader National Health Mission (NHM). These schemes provide essential healthcare services to pregnant women, infants, and young children across the country.
One of the key programmes is the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which promotes institutional deliveries through a conditional cash transfer scheme. This initiative encourages pregnant women to deliver in health facilities, ensuring safer childbirth. Additionally, the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) provides free healthcare services to pregnant women and infants under one year of age. This includes free deliveries, caesarean sections, transportation, medication, diagnostic services, and blood transfusions if needed. The scheme aims to reduce the financial burden on families and improve access to quality maternal and child healthcare in public health facilities.
Another significant initiative is the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), which guarantees pregnant women a fixed day each month to receive free antenatal check-ups by a medical specialist. This scheme focuses particularly on high-risk pregnancies, offering additional visits and financial incentives to health workers to ensure thorough monitoring and care. The Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) scheme strives to provide respectful and dignified healthcare services at no cost, to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths. This initiative guarantees that every woman and newborn who visits a public health facility will receive quality care without any denial of services.
Efforts to improve postnatal care are also a priority, with a focus on detecting danger signs in mothers following childbirth. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are incentivised to promptly identify and refer high-risk postpartum mothers for treatment. In addition, the government observes Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs), where maternal and child health services are provided, and awareness is created regarding nutrition and childcare, often in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The government has also established Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) at district hospitals and medical colleges, as well as Newborn Stabilisation Units (NBSUs) at First Referral Units (FRUs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) to care for sick and underweight babies. The Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Children (HBYC) programmes ensure that ASHAs visit homes to improve child-rearing practices and identify any health issues early, which is critical in the first few months of a child’s life.
To address childhood pneumonia, the government launched the Social Awareness and Actions to Neutralize Pneumonia Successfully (SAANS) initiative, which aims to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality due to this disease. Another effort, the MusQan initiative, focuses on improving healthcare services for newborns and children by ensuring that facilities provide child-friendly services, including the availability of skilled healthcare professionals and necessary infrastructure. Furthermore, the STOP Diarrhoea initiative promotes the use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and Zinc to reduce the number of childhood deaths caused by diarrhoea.
The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) is another key programme aimed at improving child survival. Under this scheme, children from birth to 18 years are screened for 32 health conditions, including diseases, deficiencies, defects, and developmental delays. District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) have been established to confirm diagnoses and manage the treatment of children identified through screening.
To reduce anaemia, the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy was introduced, targeting children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age. The strategy includes six key interventions designed to reduce the prevalence of anaemia through robust institutional mechanisms. Additionally, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been set up at public health facilities to provide inpatient care for children under five years old who suffer from severe acute malnutrition. These centres focus not only on providing medical and nutritional care but also on educating mothers and caregivers on proper feeding practices.
Breastfeeding is another critical area of focus, with the Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) programme promoting the early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. The programme also includes counselling on complementary feeding practices. The government has established Lactation Management Centres (LMUs) to ensure that mothers of sick, preterm, and low birth weight babies have access to safe, pasteurised donor human milk when needed.
The National Deworming Day (NDD) programme is another initiative aimed at improving child health. On this day, albendazole tablets are administered to children in schools and Anganwadi centres in two rounds each year to reduce the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths.
To raise awareness about health and nutrition, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched various Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) use tools such as the Mother and Child Protection (MCP) Card to educate families on key aspects of child health, including breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and early childhood development.
Through these initiatives, the government aims to ensure that every woman and child has access to the healthcare services they need to thrive. By promoting institutional deliveries, providing free healthcare services, and focusing on nutrition and early childhood development, the government is working to reduce maternal and child mortality and improve overall health outcomes across the country.
