India achieves total fertility rate of 2.0: Centre

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India has achieved a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.0 as per National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21), said the Union government on Tuesday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said this is aligned with the National Population Policy 2000 and the National Health Policy 2017 (TFR of 2.1). She also listed various schemes implemented by the government under the family planning programme. This includes expanded contraceptive choices, comprising condoms, combined oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraceptive pills, intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD), and sterilisation provided to the beneficiaries. “The contraceptive basket has also been expanded with new contraceptives, namely injectable contraceptive MPA (Antara Programme) and Centchroman (Chhaya),” Patel said. “Mission Parivar Vikas is implemented in seven high-focussed states and six North-Eastern states to improve access to contraceptives and family planning services,” she added, noting that the compensation scheme for sterilisation acceptors is provided to beneficiaries to compensate for the loss of wages incurred.

Further, the government also provides post-pregnancy contraception in the form of Post-Partum Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (PPIUCD), Post-Abortion Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (PAIUCD), and Post-partum Sterilisation (PPS) to beneficiaries. Further, to boost awareness of family planning and service delivery ‘World Population Day Campaign’ and ‘Vasectomy Fortnight’ are observed every year across all states. Patel noted that the Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS) is also in place for the management of family planning commodities at all levels of health facilities. Separately, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today said that about 16,586 health facilities have received the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS). NQAS is a comprehensive framework established by the health ministry aimed at ensuring and enhancing the quality of healthcare services provided at public health facilities. In June, NQAS for Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHLs) was launched to enhance the accuracy and precision of testing processes and results.