New Delhi: The Centre on Monday will launch the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK), a unified child healthcare programme that will, for the first time, introduce a risk-stratified approach, providing intensified follow-up for newborns and children identified as "at-risk".Under the programme, newborns will receive up to nine home visits during the first 42 days of life, while at-risk children will receive up to eight home visits till the age of 36 months, according to the Union Health Ministry.Union Health Minister JP Nadda will launch the programme, integrating the existing Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC) initiatives to provide a continuum of care for children from birth to 36 months.The programme will be launched at the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) at Vigyan Bhawan.The ministry said that the programme is built around the vision of 'Pehle Teen Saal Sampoorna Dekhbhal', recognising the importance of the first three years of life for child survival, nutrition, growth and early brain development."For the first time, the programme will introduce a risk-stratified approach for newborns and children identified as 'At-risk'," the ministry said in a statement.The programme will further strengthen continuity of care through joint home visits by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Community Health Officers (CHOs) and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).It will also introduce Well-Baby Sessions at every Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) and a monthly Shishu Shivir at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for early identification, assessment and management of 'At-risk' children.SSBSK will incorporate post-partum maternal mental health screening as a structured component of community-based care and will integrate nurturing care for Early Childhood Development (ECD) across all home visits and community contacts by promoting responsive caregiving, early learning, age-appropriate play, child safety and family engagement, the statement said.The programme will leverage digital technologies through Decision-Support Systems (DSS), child-tracking applications, referral loops and alert mechanisms to strengthen monitoring and continuity of care, it added."These digital systems will be aligned with the JANANI Portal, U-WIN Portal, MPCDSR Portal, RBSK 2.0 Portal and POSHAN Tracker, enabling seamless data exchange and service continuity through ABHA and Baal-ABHA IDs," the statement stated.It will also address home-based care in urban settings through tailored strategies for slum, migrant and underserved populations.The guidelines will also address emerging challenges of the digital era by promoting age-appropriate play, physical activity and mental stimulation during the first three years of life while recognising the adverse impact of excessive screen time and reduced physical interaction on brain development, emotional health and social skills, it said."The launch of Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) will reaffirm the government's commitment to ensuring accessible, equitable and quality healthcare for every mother and child towards the vision of Viksit Bharat," the statement said.