Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) convened a two-day National Workshop on Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) on August 24–25, 2026, at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. The workshop was held under the chairpersonship of Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), MoHFW, and brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; representatives of the Government of Maharashtra; State Nodal Officers for Child Health and ASHA programme from all 36 States and Union Territories; technical experts; and development partners.

The workshop focused on translating the SSBSK Operational Guidelines into effective implementation at the State, district, health facility and community levels, with particular emphasis on strengthening the continuum of care for newborns and young children from birth to three years of age.

Delivering the keynote address, Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Health Mission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, emphasised that while India has made substantial progress in reducing newborn and child mortality, the remaining challenge requires greater attention to vulnerable newborns and children, particularly the first 7 days of life which are critical for newborn survival, and the first 3 years for optimal brain development underscoring SSBSK's continuum of care for every child's survival, growth and development.

She also highlighted the need to move from routine service delivery towards early identification, risk-based follow-up and timely action, with States playing a central role in translating the SSBSK framework into measurable improvements in child health outcomes. She reiterated that effective implementation will require strong teamwork between ASHAs, ANMs, Community Health Officers, Medical Officers and Anganwadi Workers, supported by effective supervision, referral linkages and programme monitoring.

The inaugural session commenced with the welcome address by Dr. Shobhna Gupta, Deputy Commissioner & In-charge (Child Health & RBSK), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, who set the context for the two-day national workshop and underscored the importance of coordinated and convergent action among stakeholders for effective implementation of SSBSK.

Sharing the State of Maharashtra's perspective on newborn and child health survival, Shri Sanjay Shripatrao Katkar, Commissioner & Mission Director (NHM), Government of Maharashtra, highlighted the importance of strong State leadership and health-system action in advancing newborn and child survival and translating national programme priorities into implementation at the field level.

Development partners also addressed the gathering, including Dr Hemang Shah, Director (CIFF), Health & Nutrition, India; Dr Pushpa Deo Chaudhary, Team Lead (RMNCAH), WHO India; Ms Nande Putta, Chief of Health, UNICEF India; and Mr Arvinn Gadgil, Deputy Ambassador of Norway to India, reaffirming their support for strengthening newborn and child health services and implementation of SSBSK.

During the inaugural session, SSBSK programme resources were released, including the SSBSK inauguration video, the Shaishav App video and SSBSK training videos for frontline workers, to support programme communication, orientation and capacity building.

A key focus of the workshop was the Shaishav App, the digital platform supporting SSBSK implementation. The application is designed to enable identification and digital line-listing of ‘At-risk’ newborns and children, scheduling and tracking of home visits, follow-up of referrals, supportive supervision and programme monitoring. The digital platform will support the creation of a longitudinal child health profile, enabling continuity of information and follow-up as a child progresses from the newborn period through early childhood. The emphasis is on using technology as an enabler for timely decision-making while ensuring that compassionate, family-centred care remains at the heart of programme delivery.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of strengthening follow-up through community and primary healthcare platforms, including VHSNDs, Ayushman Arogya Mandir–Sub Centres and other child health service delivery platforms, to ensure that children identified with health, nutrition, growth or developmental concerns do not get lost to follow-up.

Dedicated technical sessions during the workshop covered the key components of SSBSK, including risk identification and differentiated care; home-visit schedules; maternal postnatal and mental health; infant and young child feeding; growth and developmental monitoring; nurturing care and early childhood development; identification of danger signs; referral and follow-up; joint home visits; supportive supervision; and use of the Shaishav App.

Special emphasis was placed on the role of families in nurturing care. Participants discussed the importance of engaging mothers, fathers, grandparents and other family members in responsive caregiving, age-appropriate play and communication, appropriate feeding practices and early recognition of health and developmental concerns.

The group work conducted with all participants to discuss implementation preparedness, operational challenges, training and capacity-building requirements, convergence mechanisms and State-specific implementation strategies. The deliberations reinforced the importance of States as active partners and co-owners of SSBSK implementation.

About Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK)

The Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK), launched by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J.P. Nadda on 29 June 2026 during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW), marks a significant shift in India’s approach to newborn and young child health. Integrating HBNC and HBYC into a unified, risk-stratified and digitally enabled continuum of home- and community-based care from birth to 36 months, under the vision “पहले तीन साल, सम्पूर्ण देखभाल,” the programme goes beyond child survival to focus on healthy growth and development, nutrition, nurturing care, maternal well-being, early identification of illness and developmental concerns, and timely referral and follow-up.

A key feature of SSBSK is risk-differentiated care, under which ‘At-risk’ newborns and children receive intensified follow-up, additional home visits, closer monitoring and strengthened referral support. The programme also provides for joint home visits by frontline health workers and primary healthcare teams for ‘At-risk’ children, enabling coordinated assessment, strengthened clinical oversight and counselling, and better continuity between home-based care and health facilities.

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