Equal access will help improve reproductive health

Figures from the first phase of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) show an impressive decline in fertility rates in almost all states. Despite this, overall population growth due to demographic transition still appears high: India has a high proportion of young people and adolescents – about 30% – who are either of reproductive age or soon to be. This explains why a population continues to grow even as its fertility rate declines. Some modeling studies (bit.ly/2XAEJVu) predict that India will reach a peak population of 1.6 billion by 2048 and then it will rapidly decrease to 1.12 billion by 2065.

According to statistics, while women want fewer than two children, many cannot use family planning methods that allow them to limit pregnancies. NFHS-4 showed that in 2015-16, about 13% of women in the reproductive age group (15–49 years) had not met their need for family planning, including 6% of women who did not require interval methods ( bit.ly)/3tNCQjU).

Furthermore, contraceptive use is lowest among ST women (bit.ly/3CnvKFP), at 48%, followed by Other Backward Classes, 54%, and Scheduled Castes, 55%. The situation may have worsened due to the COVID restrictions. These trends indicate that inequalities in access to family planning have translated into poor health and development outcomes.

More harmful are the prevailing myths and misconceptions about the demographic trends in the country including fertility rates and population growth. Many believe that certain religious minorities contribute greatly to India’s population growth, a notion that is not supported by the data. In fact, there has been a steady decline in the decadal growth rate among all religious groups. The decline in Muslims compared to Hindus over the past three decades has been sharper between 2001 and 2011, at 4.7% and 3.1%, respectively (bit.ly/3nPjLNv). During 2001–2011, there was a sharp decline in the population growth rate for Jains (20.5 percentage points), Buddhists (16.7), Sikhs (8.5) and Christians (7). The share of Hindus in India’s population declined from 80.5% in 2001 to 79.8% in 2011, while the Muslim population registered a modest increase, rising from 13.4 percent in 2001 to 14.2%. In absolute numbers, the Hindu population increased by 139 million during 2001–2011, while the Muslim population increased by 34 million. Contrary to popular belief, the sharpest decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) was observed between 2005-06 and 2015 among Muslims (0.8%), followed by Hindus (0.5%), Sikhs (0.4%) and Christians (0.3%). was the place. -16.

These figures defy the popular perception of minority community’s aversion to family planning. SY Qureshi, in his book The Population Myth, dissects popular myths around Muslim fertility rates, tracing Islamic principles that encourage small families in family planning and religious discourse.

For a large section of India’s backward communities, social development programs are out of reach. There is an urgent need for universal and equitable access to quality health services, including family planning. Ensuring access to education, social protection and health services, particularly sexual and reproductive services, is the key to improving birth outcomes.

States such as Kerala, where the Muslim population is high, and Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have shown us that there is a strong correlation between growth and the decline in TFR. Indonesia and Bangladesh, both Muslim-majority countries, have fared better than India in terms of declining fertility rates. Higher levels of female education, more job opportunities for women, delayed age at marriage and access to a larger basket of contraceptive options have made all the difference.

Highlighting their contribution to ensure that more women in India have access to family planning services, empowering frontline workers to increase women’s access to contraceptives, especially ways to make a difference, and introducing a wider range of contraceptive methods for women to choose from. , based on their personal preference. Involving religious leaders in family planning and reproductive health support is an important way to encourage public acceptance. The practice has been implemented with great success in many programs in other countries.

Behavior-change communication and development interventions should be geared towards education with a focus on gender equality. Inclusiveness and equity are important when it comes to the distribution and distribution of services, information and goods across communities and geographic regions. Governments at the national and state levels must ensure that appropriate measures are taken so that the well-being of the people remains at the center of all policies, including family planning and reproductive health. This is critical to achieving our Sustainable Development Goals without leaving anyone behind.

Fauzia Khan is a Member of Parliament of the Nationalist Congress Party