Free condoms under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Mission Parivar Vikas for high-fertility districts

The government is planning to place condom boxes at locations such as health facilities and Gram Panchayat Bhavan in rural areas. As these areas are high fertility districts.

This step is taken inorder to improve family planning services, the Union government is all set to roll out “Mission Parivar Vikas” programme in 146 districts that house 28 per cent of the country’s population. The high density population districts in the seven states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam, have a total fertility rate (TFR) of three and above. These districts have been identified as high-focus areas to accelerate access to high quality family planning choices based on information, reliable services and supplies.

“The family planning kit will be given to newly-wed couples by the ASHA with a view to improve inter-spousal communication and consensual decision-making with regards to their reproductive and sexual health as well as delay the birth of the first child and space the second,” said a health ministry official.

“In order to generate and increase awareness as well as sensitise the community and disseminate family planning messages in far flung areas, special buses and vans equipped with communication material, information, education and communication material and family planning commodities will be mobilised during the Mission Parivar Vikas fortnights.