AP Targets Health Screening Of 53.66 Lakh Children Under RBSK By December-End
Health secretary G. Veerapandian and the health commissioner reviewed the implementation of the programme with senior health officials in Vijayawada on Thursday.
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has set a target of completing health screening for 53,66,466 children under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) by the end of December.
Health secretary G. Veerapandian and the health commissioner reviewed the implementation of the programme with senior health officials in Vijayawada on Thursday. They decided to complete screening of the remaining children after 27.54 lakh children, or 51.32 per cent of the target, underwent screening over the past three months.
Of the 27.54 lakh children screened since July, 27,039 were found to have health problems, of whom 541 underwent surgery.
Health authorities are conducting screenings under RBSK for children below 18 years of age at anganwadi centres, government schools and government-aided schools.
The programme covers 38 types of health conditions, including 10 congenital defects, five diseases, 11 nutritional deficiencies and 12 conditions related to developmental delays and disabilities.
The conditions identified included 455 cases of neural tube defects, 243 of Down syndrome, 153 of cleft lip and palate, 142 of clubfoot, 102 involving hip bone problems, 126 of congenital heart disease, 83 of cataracts, 62 of hearing impairment, 33 eye problems in premature infants and eight congenital defects of the kidneys and urinary tract.
Among nutritional deficiencies and related conditions, screenings identified 3,673 cases of vitamin A deficiency, 1,847 of vitamin D deficiency, 715 of severe acute malnutrition, 650 of anaemia and 338 cases of goitre.