Reproductive health in India.

Abstract

While Indias National Family Welfare Programme has averted about 168 million births since its inception in 1951 Indias population has more than doubled since 1961. Simply meeting unmet demand for family planning (FP) will help India achieve its goal of replacement-level fertility however by increasing contraceptive prevalence from 41% to 60% of married women. In 1992 India began to incorporate a reproductive health perspective into its FP efforts. India must improve the accessibility and quality of FP and abortion services take steps to ensure safe deliveries and improve maternal health. Data on prevalence of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases are scarce but knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention has been shown to be poor. Reproductive health research in India has focused on continuation rates of various IUDs improving the counseling and technical skills of health staff at postpartum centers continuation rates of Norplant under field conditions and promoting the concept of informed choice of contraception. The government is implementing the following steps to improve reproductive health: 1) exploring a client-centered instead of target and incentive driven approach to FP 2) expanding the use of male methods and spacing methods and 3) adding other components of reproductive health into ongoing child survival and safe motherhood programs. Improving the National Family Welfare Program will require an increase in funding and enhanced collaborative research.