Reducing total fertility rate a must
STABILISATION A lower TFR in Uttar Pradesh would mean the population would remain stable and not increase much. It would also reduce infant and maternal mortality rates in the state
LUCKNOW: To control population growth and to reduce burden on its resources, Uttar Pradesh needs to bring down one of the indices—total fertility rate (TFR).
Total fertility rate, the number of a children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, is 3.1 in Uttar Pradesh while the national average is 2.3. UP is just behind Bihar that tops the TFR with 3.8.
“Bringing TFR to 2.1 means the population will remain stable and not increase much,” says principal secretary health, Arvind Kumar.
At present, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of UP is 258, infant mortality rate is 48(IMR) and total fertility rate (TFR) is 3.1 as per SRS data. Experts say the simplest way to decrease both MMR and IMR is to adopt small family norm and thus both mother and infants will no longer be at risk of dying thereby decreasing MMR and IMR.
Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up to meet the Family Planning 2020 commitments which entail providing family planning services to additional 12.4 million new users by then, as well as to sustain the coverage of existing 12.6 million users.
The unmet family planning need can be reduced only by providing information to community about family planning activities and provision of contraception to them according to their choice. Only then can the unmet need be addressed and be brought to the desired level of 12.7 % from the present 20.7 % , also bringing down the total fertility rate, said Dr Sandeep Kapoor director, Health City and Trauma Centre.
The department of family planning plans to increase emphasis on accreditation of private hospitals/clinics to provide family planning services and increasing access to and utilization of sterilisation services at accredited private facilities under the ongoing “Hausala Sajheedari’’ programme.