National Youth Foundation

Mothers and children form a significant and vulnerable segment of the population, constituting 71.4% in developing countries. In India, women of childbearing age (15-44 years) account for 22.2%, and children under 15 years comprise 35.3%, together making up 57.5% of the total population. Children are a primary focus of community health programs, which aim to enhance maternal and child nutrition for healthier births. According to WHO (1976), maternal and child health services encompass promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for mothers and children, emphasizing their overall health and development as a crucial priority.

Aims and Objectives of the Mother & Child Health Programme

Reduce Mortality Rates: Lower maternal mortality (2013: 190 per 1 lakh live births), perinatal mortality (stillbirths and deaths in the first week per 1,000 live births), and infant mortality (2013: 41 per 1,000 live births).
Enhance Child Survival: Ensure better survival rates for children through improved healthcare.
Promote Reproductive Health: Support safe motherhood and reproductive well-being.
Healthy Births: Ensure the birth of healthy children.
Prevent Malnutrition: Address and prevent malnutrition in mothers and children.
Control Diseases: Prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
Early Intervention: Provide timely diagnosis and treatment for health issues.
Education and Planning: Offer health education and family planning services.

Childhood malnutrition remains a leading cause of child mortality and illness in India. Three out of five children under the age of five are stunted, reflecting long-term malnourishment, while 25% are wasted or underweight for their height due to inadequate nutrition. The shift to prolonged screen time during COVID-19 has further led to a rise in vision issues and refractive errors among children. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable due to limited medical facilities and lack of awareness, with school-going children often becoming victims of preventable diseases and infections due to the absence of regular health check-ups.

Services Offered Under the School Health Program

The program aims to provide comprehensive health check-ups for school-going children to assess their growth and development. It focuses on the early detection of diseases or abnormalities, ensuring timely treatment to enable children to lead healthy lives. The preventive check-up data serves as a baseline for future reference.