Govt to expand newborn screening to 2.5L infants annually under Mission ‘ANMOL’

New Delhi: The Delhi government has approved an expanded newborn screening programme under Mission ANMOL, increasing annual coverage from around 1.5 lakh to 2.5 lakh infants to ensure early detection of congenital disorders, officials said on Tuesday.

The decision, cleared by the Rekha Gupta government, aims to move towards near-universal screening at government health facilities and outreach centres, according to an official statement. Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the scale-up would enable early identification and management of metabolic, endocrine, functional and visible congenital conditions, improving long-term health outcomes.

The programme will cover key conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism, congenital heart defects, hearing impairment and retinopathy of prematurity, with a focus on timely intervention and follow-up care.

Officials said Mission Advanced Newborn Monitoring for Optimal Lifecare (ANMOL) adopts a technology-driven and integrated approach aligned with national guidelines to make comprehensive newborn screening a standard practice across Delhi’s public health system.

To support implementation, the government has approved 148 positions under the programme, including continuation of 73 existing staff and addition of 60 staff nurses and 15 optometrists, according to officials.

The nurses will assist in sample collection, especially for pre-term and critically ill infants, and help coordinate care and transport, while optometrists will support screening for retinopathy of prematurity, they said. The initiative will also strengthen coordination among hospitals, laboratories and programme units to ensure all newborns are screened before discharge, with special emphasis on high-delivery-load hospitals and neonatal intensive care units. Singh said the expanded programme reflects the government’s commitment to

strengthening neonatal healthcare and ensuring that no child is left behind.