Prime Highlight
- Around 41,000 children in Karnataka suffer from congenital heart disease (CHD), underscoring the urgent need for improved diagnosis and treatment systems.
- The state plans to integrate pregnancy ultrasounds with neonatal check-ups, enabling early detection and continuous monitoring of high-risk cases.
Key Facts
- CHD is the most common congenital defect in India, affecting over 2 million newborns annually, with many cases diagnosed too late.
- A 2024 study found that India’s CHD surgery death rate is 5.63%, nearly double that of high-income countries.
Background
Approximately 41,000 children in Karnataka suffer from congenital heart disease (CHD), according to government data. CHD refers to structural problems in the heart or major blood vessels that are present from birth, ranging from minor defects to serious conditions like underdeveloped chambers or malformed valves.
The Karnataka health department highlighted the urgent need to strengthen diagnosis and treatment systems to lower childhood illness and mortality. Under a proposed plan, pregnancy ultrasound scans will be integrated with neonatal check-ups. This would allow paediatricians to monitor high-risk foetuses and ensure early postnatal follow-up for detected defects.
The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) program identified these cases, with children receiving care under the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka program. Patients are referred to tertiary care centres and other institutions providing free treatment through the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST).
The most prevalent congenital defect in India is the CHDs, which impact more than two million newborns every year. Many children are diagnosed late due to missing parts of prenatal tests or no early neonatal tests. Delayed diagnosis can result in missed treatment opportunities and irreversible damage.
A 2024 study of 43 Indian reports with over 30,000 patients found that the death rate during surgery in hospitals was 5.63%, almost twice as high as in richer countries. Health officials stress that combining prenatal and postnatal monitoring could significantly improve early detection and treatment outcomes for children with CHD in Karnataka.
