UNFPA Honors India’s Extraordinary Progress in Maternal Health and Family Planning Segment

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), recognized India’s extraordinary progress in advancing maternal health and family planning. In this regard, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UNFPA felicitated Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, Health Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, reinstating UNFPA’s unwavering commitment to partnering with India towards women’s health and wellbeing.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has implemented a number of programmes to improve maternal health outcomes toward achieving zero preventable maternal deaths. These include assured quality and respectful maternity care under the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana(SUMAN), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and the Midwifery Services Initiative. Dr. Kanem commended India’s monumental efforts in reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by an impressive 70% between 2000 and 2020, positioning the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 before 2030. This remarkable progress has saved the lives of thousands of women across the country, particularly those from marginalized communities.

India’s Family Planning program has reached new heights, with the Total Fertility Rate reduced to below the replacement level (TFR-2). Over the years, UNFPA has played a key role in expanding the basket of contraceptive choices, including the recent inclusion of Subdermal Implants and injectable Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA).

Source: india.unfpa.org/en/news