The Maharashtra government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur to strengthen the prevention and management of childhood non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
As per an official release issued on April 10, AIIMS Nagpur will serve as a technical centre of excellence, and UNICEF will provide strategic support in convening partners, co-devloping solutions, and enabling scale within government systems.
This initiative will involve developing evidence-based standard operating protocols (SOPs) for six priority childhood NCDs, such as type 1 diabetes, asthma, obesity, mental health conditions, congenital heart disease, and sickle cell disease, it said.
The plan also includes the establishment of paediatric NCD clinics across 10 district hospitals in Maharashtra, capacity building of public health functionaries in pilot districts and strengthening community-level screening and referral systems.
