PrAYAAS’ Initiative to Screen Children for Speech, Hearing Issues in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka

Quick Summary

• Program Launch: The Chamarajanagar district administration, along with AIISH Mysuru and two government departments (Women & Child Progress, Health and Family Welfare), is set to launch ‘PrAYAAS’ on August 15, 2025, in Karinajanapura.
• Objective: PrAYAAS aims to identify and address speech, language, and hearing difficulties in children aged 6 months to 6 years across the district.
• MoU: An MoU between Chamarajanagar district administration and AIISH will be signed during the program’s inauguration. Additionally, a public awareness poster will be released.
• Scope of Screening: Around 40,000 children from approximately 1,400 anganwadis will be screened during the initiative by specialists including speech-language pathologists and audiologists from AIISH as well as ENT surgeons from District Hospital.
• Implementation Timeline: The initiative will run until March 31,2026,divided into five phases:

– public awareness campaigns on disorders related to speech and hearing.
– training of anganwadi workers for preliminary screening.
– Specialized screenings at PHCs across Chamarajanagar taluks.
– Detailed diagnostic assessments for high-risk children detected in initial screenings followed by therapy interventions like provision of hearing aids where needed.

• Community Participation: parents are encouraged to bring their children for screenings at Primary Health Centres. The program also includes capacity building of local medical staff.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The PrAYAAS initiative addresses a critical developmental challenge faced by many young children – undiagnosed or untreated auditory and speech-language impairments that can impede overall growth. By targeting intervention during early childhood (ages six months to six years), this effort reflects global best practices focused on timely detection combined with professional follow-up treatments.

With over 40% prevalence noted for risks among young children according to cited research findings in similar contexts worldwide-their mapping importance is commendable especially bolstered early diagnosis–indisputably impactful milestones await broader rural inclusion Our metric scale deployments type solutions lacking historically transitional constrains