New Delhi, July 11: Acceptance of modern contraceptives in India has increased to over 56 per cent, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said on Thursday. In a virtual meeting with State UTs, Patel highlighted this as the success of the country’s National Family Planning Programme, which currently offers a variety of reversible modern contraceptives encompassing condoms, intrauterine contraceptive devices, oral pills, injectable contraceptives, etc. "It is encouraging to note that the acceptance of modern contraceptives in the country has increased to over 56 per cent," she said.
From 47.8 per cent (NFHS 4, 2015-16) to 56.5 per cent (NFHS-5, 2019-20), the "increase has been substantial".
The NFHS-5 data also "shows an overall positive shift towards spacing methods (between pregnancies) which would positively impact maternal and infant mortality and morbidity". Notably, “the Unmet Need for Family Planning has declined to 9.4 from 12.
9 (NFHS IV) which is an encouraging achievement,” she added. Further, Patel noted that "more than 65 per cent of India’s population falls in the reproductive age group which makes it pertinent to ensure that they are provided with choices and not burdened with unplanned family growth". She informed that from the earlier two phases, the Union Government’s family planning programme “has now been expanded to three phases: the preparatory phase, community participation, and service delivery.
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