Port Blair, Mar. 11: The National Birth Defect Awareness month is being celebrated during the March every year. In this year also the national awareness campaign is on-going as a month long activities. Various activities are being undertaken in these Islands also at the institutional and community levels.   About six percent of children are born with Birth Defects every year worldwide. The birth defects spectrum includes association with many risk factors like genetic factors, maternal conditions like diabetes and obesity, maternal age, viral infections like chicken pox, rubella, zika, environmental and drugs. Being aware of the impact of Birth Defects on our future generation, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is giving utmost priority to strategies for their identification, prevention and management under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK). Early identification with assured linkage to care, support and treatment introduces equitable child health care approach which in the long run will reduce the burden of disability, improve health and ensure development of children born with Birth Defects.

Since many of these causative factors of birth defect are preventable, wide range of preventive and intervention approaches are needed. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has various programs in working to achieve this objective. The birth defects awareness campaign would be focusing on the awareness about prevention, early identification and timely management which will be carried out throughout the month in all the Health Centres of the Islands.

Parents have been requested that any of their children who are facing any bodily birth defect(s) issues may visit the local health institutions for consultation with the doctors so that the early intervention can be done for a better result.