{
  "abstract": "Background Until recently, Guyana lacked a national system for identifying developmental concerns in children. In response, the Government of Guyana launched a nationwide school-based health screening program in 2022, marking the first effort to include neurodevelopmental screening for nursery and primary school children. This initiative aims to facilitate early detection of developmental delays and expand access to care, especially in remote hinterland regions where many Indigenous children reside.Methods In collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System’s Arnhold Institute for Global Health, the Ministry of Health implemented the Comprehensive Child and Youth Health Program. The goal was to screen all children in Guyana’s 1,200 schools by 2025. Screenings encompassed physical, dental, vision, hearing, and neurodevelopmental assessments, with additional mental health and puberty screenings for primary students. Conducted through schools, health centers, and community outreach—primarily by trained school health teams and community health workers—the program emphasized early childhood development, particularly in Indigenous hinterland areas. Training on communicating screening results to parents was also provided.Results By June 2025, 68,637 children aged 3–12 were screened, including 15,158 from hinterland communities. Concerns for seizures and autism were identified, along with high referral rates for speech therapy, dental and audiology services. The findings prompted additional national training and increased investment in child disability services.Conclusions Guyana’s integration of developmental screening into a national health program demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale early identification and referral systems. This model paves the way for more equitable access to developmental support, particularly in low-resource settings.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana"
      ],
      "name": "Ariane Mangar"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana"
      ],
      "name": "Ertenisa Hamilton"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai, New York, USA",
        "Mount Sinai Guyana Child and Youth Health Initiative, New York, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Niccollette Tamayo-Jimenez"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai, New York, USA",
        "Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA",
        "Mount Sinai Guyana Child and Youth Health Initiative, New York, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Rachel C Vreeman"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Mount Sinai Guyana Child and Youth Health Initiative, New York, USA"
      ],
      "name": "S Maria E Finnell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA",
        "Mount Sinai Guyana Child and Youth Health Initiative, New York, USA"
      ],
      "name": "Megan S McHenry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "83 Implementation of child development screening in a school-based health program: description of Guyana national program",
  "uid": "a24f9081-1a32-5df7-81a5-c5b32454acdb"
}