Health Ministry launches two new contraceptives

New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two new contraceptives, an injectible contraceptive MPA under the 'Antara' programme and contraceptive pill, 'Chhaya', to expand the basket of contraceptive choices for the couples.

The contraceptives, which are available for free in medical colleges and district hospitals at present, have so far been launched in 10 states -- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal, Odisha, Delhi and Goa, an official statement said.

It said the contraceptives are safe and highly effective. Antara is effective for three months, while Chayya pill works for one week.

The statement further said that this will help meet the changing needs of couples, especially women, to plan and space their pregnancies.

Training of healthcare practitioners from all the states has been completed as well, with a pool of state and district level doctors and staff nurses being trained to support the roll-out, it added.

To help improve the supply and distribution of contraceptives, the Ministry had recently launched a new software, Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS), designed to provide robust information on the demand and distribution of contraceptives to health facilities and ASHAs.

In addition, Mission Parivar Vikas, a central family planning initiative has also been launched by the Ministry.

The key strategic focus of this initiative is on improving access to contraceptives through delivering assured services, ensuring commodity security and accelerating access to high-quality family planning services.

The mission is being implemented in 146 high focus districts with the highest total fertility rates in the country.

These districts are in the seven high focus, high Total Fertility Rates (TFR) states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam, which constitute 44 per cent of the country's population.

The main objective of Mission Parivar Vikas family planning initiative is to bring down the Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by 2025.

The Ministry aims to achieve its goal of increasing modern contraceptive usage and ensure that 74 per cent of demand for modern contraceptives is satisfied by 2020, with continued emphasis on delivering assured services, generating demand and bridging supply gaps.

Its focus remains on increasing awareness and demand through a holistic communications campaign that has simultaneously been rolled out across all states of the country, said the statement.