The Government of India under the National Health Mission (NHM) is implementing following interventions across all States and UTs of the country to improve the health of newborn babies and their mothers:-
1. Promotion of institutional deliveries through JananiSurakshaYojana.
2. Operationalization of sub-centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and District Hospitals for providing 24×7 basic and comprehensive obstetric care services.
3. New guidelines have been prepared and disseminated to the states: Screening for Diagnosis and management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Hypothyroidism during pregnancy, Training of General Surgeons for performing Caesarean Section, Calcium supplementation during pregnancy and lactation, De-worming during pregnancy, Maternal Near Miss Review, Screening for Syphilis during pregnancy and Dakshata guidelines for strengthening intra-partum care.
4. Name Based Web enabled tracking of Pregnant Women to ensure antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care.
5. Mother and Child Protection Card in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development to monitor service delivery for mothers and children.
6. Antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care including Iron and Folic Acid supplementation to pregnant and lactating women for prevention and treatment of anaemia.
7. Engagement of more than 9 lakhs Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to generate demand and facilitate accessing of health care services by the community.
8. Village Health and Nutrition Days in rural areas as an outreach activity, for provision of maternal and child health services.
9. The RashtriyaKishorSwasthyaKaryakram (RKSK) for adolescents to have better access to family planning, prevention of sexually transmitted Infections, Provision of counselling and peer education.
10 Health and nutrition education to promote dietary diversification, inclusion of iron and folate rich food as well as food items that promote iron absorption.
11. JananiShishuSurakshaKaryakaram (JSSK) entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to absolutely free and no expense delivery including Caesarean section. The initiative stipulates free drugs, diagnostics, diet, blood transfusion besides free transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home. Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick infants, ate-natal and post-natal mothers accessing public health institutions for treatment.
12. Strengthening Facility based newborn care: Newborn care corners (NBCC) are being set up at all health facilities where deliveries take place; Special New Born Care Units (SNCUs) and New Born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) are also being set up at appropriate facilities for the care of sick newborn including preterm babies.
13. Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC): Home based newborn care through ASHA has been initiated to improve new born practices at the community level and early detection and referral of sick new born babies
14. India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) has been launched to reduce neonatal mortality and stillbirths.
15. Newer interventions to reduce newborn mortality- Vitamin K injection at birth, Antenatal corticosteroids for preterm labour, kangaroo mother care and injection gentamicin for possible serious bacillary infection.
16. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): Vaccination protects children against many life threatening diseases such as Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Measles. Infants are thus immunized against seven vaccine preventable diseases every year. The Government of India supports the vaccine programme by supply of vaccines and syringes, cold chain equipment and provision of operational costs.
17. Capacity building of health care providers: Various trainings are being conducted under National Health Mission (NHM) to build and upgrade the skills of health care providers in basic and comprehensive obstetric care of mother during pregnancy, delivery and essential newborn care.
18. To sharpen the focus on the low performing districts, 184 High Priority Districts (HPDs) have been prioritized for Reproductive, Maternal,Newborn, Child Health+Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions for achieving improved maternal and child health outcomes.
The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the LokSabha here today.