Jammu and Kashmir is all set to begin screening of over 50 lakh children for nearly three dozen diseases, including birth defects, under the Centrally sponsored Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) scheme. The RBSK scheme is likely to be implemented in December in all districts of the state. Jammu and Kashmir will become the third state in the country to implement the scheme after Maharashtra and Haryana. The Jammu and Kashmir Government has received funds over Rs 17 crore from the Centre and nine intervention centres have been approved in the Valley. One is already functional at Leh in the Ladakh region. “We will screen over 50 lakh children between 0-18 years for 4 Ds — defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies and development delays, including disabilities in a phased manner,” Associate Programme Manager of the scheme Dr Younis Mushtaq told The Tribune, “If children are diagnosed with illnesses, they will receive follow up, including free of cost surgeries at the tertiary level, under the National Rural Health Mission.” The objective of the initiative is to improve the overall quality of life of children through early detection of diseases. A senior health official said child screening under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram would be done at the ‘community and facility level’. “While facility-based newborn screening will be done at public health facilities such as primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals by medical officers, staff nurses and auxiliary nurse midwife, the community-level screening will be conducted by mobile health teams at anganwadis and schools,” the official said. “All school children below six years would be screened by mobile block health teams for deficiencies, diseases, developmental delays, including disability, at anganwadi centres at least twice a year,” he said. The screening at schools will be done at government and government-aided schools at least once a year. Mammoth task * Major diseases for which the children will be screened are birth neural tube defect, Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and palate, talipes (club foot), developmental dysplasia of the hip, congenital cataract, congenital deafness, congenital heart diseases and retinopathy of prematurity * Children will also be screened for deficiency diseases, especially severe anaemia, vitamin A deficiency (bitot spot), vitamin D deficiency (rickets), severe acute malnutrition and goitre (iodine deficiency)