Eleventh Five Year Plan

Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH 95Source: NFHS-3, IIPS (2005–06).FIGURE 3.1.14: Unmet Need for Family Planning (currently married women, age 15–49)INVOLVEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND NGOS3.1.153 As per the NFHS data, less than 10% of ruralwomen report that they are visited by the ANMs duringa year. On the other hand, there is a large pool offormally or informally qualified Rural Health Practitioners(RHPs) who meet the day-to-day healthcare needs of people in 6 lakh villages, 24×7. In theEleventh Five Year Plan, it is proposed to enlist theirservices for many tasks including the delivery ofnon-clinical methods of contraception and referringthe clinical cases to the PHCs or FRUs. The successfulexperiment by a VO, Janani, in Bihar may be studiedand replicated.3.1.154 There is an urgent need to increase the involvementof CSO, VOs, and NGOs including private sectorin the delivery of family planning services, especiallyin areas where the public sector is weak. JansankhyaSthirata Kosh (JSK) (National Population StabilizationFund) is a registered society of the MoHFWto accelerate population stabilization efforts. JSK isexpected to work in close cooperation with thegovernment, private, and voluntary sectors to promotesmall and healthy families. State governments, districtofficials, and other organizations will be encouragedto suggest innovations in enhancing family planningservices which can be supported by JSK on a pilot scale.Expertise of the Population Foundation of Indiawill be sought to scale up good pilots in the country.Centres of excellence (such as one in Tamil Nadu—Box 3.1.18) can also play a vital role.3.1.155 During the Eleventh Five Year Plan greaterfocus will be on the following for voluntary fertilityreduction:Box 3.1.17Janani—Using RHPsAn NGO, Janani, set up a network of more than 21000Titli (Butterfly) centres and more than 500 Surya (Sun)clinics in the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, and MP. Suryaclinics are referral clinics run in towns by formally qualified,State-registered doctors. Titli centres are situatedin villages and run by RHPs who have been trained toprovide family planning counselling and sell non-clinicalcontraceptives. Since RHPs are males, they work witha Woman Health Partner who is generally a memberof their family (in most cases, wife). RHPs and theirfemale counterparts hold a two-day training programmeon family planning counselling. Female partners helpreach out to the village women who are hesitant toapproach male health providers on reproductive healthmatters.