India contributes to 20-25 % of all live births in the world (2.7 crore live births are in India out of the 12.8 core live births in the world). A cursory look at the World statistics on perinatal mortality will tell you that Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia contribute to 80-90% of perinatal mortality. Perinatal mortality which comprises of foetal and neonatal deaths between 22wks and 7days after birth is a major public health problem we cannot ignore.

IRIA Samrakshan is a national programme that aims to reduce perinatal mortality in India through a systematic, phased approach that will train and guide Radiologists in India to screen using ultrasound and colour Doppler at 3rd month and 8th month to identify at-risk pregnancies for pre-eclampsia and foetal growth restriction in India.

SAMRAKSHAN SEVEN STAR PROGRAMME :

• Promote the concept and goal of Samrakshan to reduce perinatal mortality through social media to members of IRIA, other specialists and the general public (posters, videos, ppt, animations, public awareness messages)
• To promote the technical package available at online easy class platform focused on Pre Eclampsia and Fetal growth restriction and enrol as many members from your state. The number of members who have successfully completed courses will be monitored.
• To conduct offline training programs, CME, workshops, hands-on training on Samrakshan courses (First-trimester screening and third trimester for screening) that focus on screening for PE & FGR at state and institution levels.
• Measure the progress and success of the program using tangible parameters like the number of positive cases detected at first trimester and third trimester has to be recorded. Easy class platform linked to the IRIA website will give access to an online excel form which can be updated on a regular basis and monitored by the team.
• To synergise Raksha program with Samrakshan public awareness program to disseminate the social commitment of IRIA to the general public as well as to govt. officials, PCPNDT officers, political and social leaders to be involved in the meetings
• IRIA National to present a policy document highlighting the Samrakshan rationale on using technology as an accelerator at secondary care and encourage govt.to take up the focus, sensitise other stakeholders, and to convince the leadership that such actions at secondary care to identify and manage a target group as a strategy can yield fast results on the reduction of perinatal mortality and other indices. The impact of this program on the issue of low birth weight babies which India has excluded from the sustainable goals also has to be incorporated in the recommendation policy document.
• Discuss management strategies with obstetricians, especially at the primary and secondary levels, and neonatologists for the best possible outcomes in the identified at-risk categories.