Thiruvananthapuram: A worrying trend in Kerala’s public health landscape has been highlighted by the Assembly Estimates Committee, whose recent report points to a substantial increase in the number of newborn infants being identified with genetic deformities across the state.
According to data compiled from the Newborn Screening Program (NBSP) between 2021 and 2023, the number of reported cases of newborns with genetic defects has climbed sharply. The figures show a significant jump from 2,635 cases in 2021 to 3,232 in 2022, culminating in a total of 4,779 cases in 2023.
The capital district of Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as a major hotspot, leading the state in the number of recorded defects, followed by Kollam and Malappuram. Critically, the capital witnessed a staggering 226% surge in cases, rising from 379 in 2021 to 1,237 by 2023. Further data from the 2024 ‘Shalabham’ scheme, which operates across 13 government medical colleges, revealed that 61% of the total identified cases (1,745 out of 2,846) originated from Thiruvananthapuram.
Underutilized Funds Raise Concerns
The committee, chaired by former health minister K.K. Shailaja, also flagged a serious issue regarding the implementation of the screening program. Despite the alarming rise in detected defects, the amount of funds utilized for the scheme has reportedly decreased year-on-year. The report notes that underutilized funds rose from 41.52% in 2021 to a substantial 73.14% in 2023, prompting the committee to seek an official explanation.
While the committee noted that a conclusive analysis awaits the total number of children screened in each district, the available data clearly signals a need for immediate attention and better resource allocation.
