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India’s Leadership in Maternal Health and Family Planning
Context:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has recognised India’s extraordinary progress in advancing Maternal Health and Family Planning.
Key Findings About India:
- Significant Reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): India has reduced the MMR by 70% between 2000 and 2020.
- Recognition of Family Planning Achievements: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India has been reduced below the replacement level (TFR-2).
- New contraceptive options, including Subdermal Implants and Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA), have been introduced.
- Leadership in Global Health Forums: India holds key roles in global partnerships like the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and Family Planning 2030 (FP2030).
Initiatives taken by the Government
Maternal Health Initiatives:
- Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN): Launched to provide assured, dignified, and quality maternity care services, zero-tolerance for denial of services to pregnant women and newborns.
- Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): It is a nationwide program offering free, assured, and comprehensive antenatal care to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.
- Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): A safe motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission (NHM), its financial incentives to promote institutional deliveries among poor pregnant women, aiming to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
- Midwifery Services Initiative: It Aims to strengthen midwifery services across India by training and deploying skilled midwives.
- LaQshya Program: It focuses on improving the quality of care during childbirth in labour rooms and maternity operation theatres in public health facilities.
Family Planning Programs:
- Mission Parivar Vikas: Targets high fertility districts with high unmet needs for family planning services.
- Expansion of Contraceptive Choices: The government has expanded the range of contraceptive options available in the public health system.
- New methods include injectables like Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) and Subdermal Implants to offer more choices for family planning.
- National Family Planning Program: Provides a comprehensive range of contraceptive methods (condoms, oral contraceptive pills, IUCDs, sterilisation).
- Promotes postpartum family planning, ensuring that women receive family planning services immediately after delivery.
- Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS):A digital platform to ensure the availability of family planning commodities by tracking supply chain management at all levels.
Conclusion:
The Indian Government steps have resulted in positive results in controlling maternal mortality and family planning however the government should focus on some high fertility districts to obtain maximum results.