New Delhi, July 27: India has achieved replacement level fertility with as many as 31 states/UTs having achieved a Total Fertility Rate of 2.1 or less and modern contraceptive usage has increased substantially to 56.5 per cent, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Wednesday.
She was addressing the National Family Planning Summit 2022 here. Aligning with Atma Nirbhar Bharat, the theme of the summit was ‘Sustaining Efforts, Steering Partnerships, Shaping Vision in Family Planning – Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas and Sabka Vikas’.
According to Pawar, India understood the importance of family planning early and went on to be the first country to launch a national programme in 1952.
Highlighting the increased usage of modern contraceptives, she said: “NFHS-5 data shows an overall positive shift towards spacing methods which would be instrumental in impacting positively, the maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.”
The Minister emphasised that Mission Parivar Vikas (MPV) 2016 has given further impetus to the National Family Planning Programme. Under the scheme, innovative strategies like the distribution of Nayi Pehel kits, Saas Bahu Sammelan, and Saarthi vans are helping to reach out to the community and initiate dialogues on family planning, and healthy birth spacing and the importance of small families.
“More than 17 lakh Nayi Pehel kits have been distributed to newly-weds, over 7 lakh Saas Bahu Sammelans conducted, and over 32 lakh clients have been counselled through Saarthi vans since inception. It is due to these efforts, NFHS-5 data shows a substantial increase in modern contraceptive use and decrease in unmet need in all the MPV states,” she added.
The Minister also highlighted that India, which is an important member of the FP2020, now transitioned to the FP2030 partnership. As part of India’s commitment to this partnership, $3 billion has been invested in family planning.