The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) is a flagship public health scheme launched by the Government of India under the National Health Mission (NHM). It was created to address the gap in early detection and management of health conditions in children, which often led to lifelong disabilities. The scheme was launched in February 2013 under the erstwhile National Rural Health Mission.
RBSK aims to screen and manage children from birth up to 18 years of age for 30 to 32 selected health conditions. These conditions are categorized into the "4Ds": Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental delays including disabilities. The mechanism involves systematic, free-of-cost screening at multiple points. Newborns are screened at delivery points by health personnel, and up to 6 weeks of age at home by ASHA workers under the Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) package. Dedicated Mobile Health Teams conduct outreach screening for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years at Anganwadi Centres and for those aged 6 to 18 years (enrolled in classes I to XII) at Government and Government-aided schools.
Children identified with any of the conditions are referred for free treatment, including tertiary-level surgeries. The referral and follow-up management are primarily handled by the District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) established at the district level. The scheme operates in convergence with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Education. RBSK is a core component of the NHM's Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy. While the core structure remains, the scheme's goals align with newer initiatives like the Unique Methods of Management of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) Initiative, started in 2019, which focuses on high-level laboratory detection of genetic disorders.