Lok Sabha Question No. 493 (STARRED), answered on 2017-04-07
Subject: Infertility Rate
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 493 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH APRIL, 2017 INFERTILITY RATE

## *493. SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the rise in infertility rat so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any study to find out the reas behind the same and if so, the deta ils thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to address the same; and
- (d) whether the Government would initiate awareness programmes to contr infertility due to preventable causes and if so, the details thereof

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## ( SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA )

- (a) to ( d) :  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 493* FOR 7 TH APRIL, 2017

(a): Yes. The prevalence of primary in fertility was found to be 4.0% from urban area and 3.7% from rural area as per the survey conducted by Indian Counci Medical Research (ICMR) in 13 States of the country and 37, 570 women wer enrolled for the study .

- (b):  The  National  Family  Health  Surveys  (NFHS),  coordinated  by  th International  Institute  for  Population  Sciences  (IIPS)  under  the  aeg Government of India, have been carried out periodically since 1992. Four surveys have been carried out til l date.

NFHS - 4  (January  2015  to  December  2016)  has  conducted  studies  on fertility rate of women (children per women) through 14 Field Agencies gathered information from 601,509 households, 699,686 women, and 103,525 men.

Age  of  women,  age  at  first marriage,  place  of  residence,  standard  of living, working status of women and region are some of the variables re with  the  rate  of  infertility  and  childlessness.  Infertility  rate  is  hi women in urban areas. This may be due to lifestyle or fi rst marriage at late age. This  can  be  related  to  the  fact  that  with  aspirations  for  attaining educational level, marriage is delayed as a result of which in confirmati aforementioned  causation  factors  (higher  age  at  marriage,  urban  living le etc.), infertility rate is high among this sub group of population.

(c):  Pradhan  Mantri  Surakshit  Matritva  Abhiyan  has  been  launched  by  t Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India ,to safe guard  pregnant  women  from  the  time  of  pregnancy  up  to  the  delivery.  T program aims to provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care, of cost, universally to all pregnant women.

The  State  Government  of  Assam  has  introduced  a  new scheme  named 'Matrutva Yojana' for tribal couples who have not been able to conceive after three  year  of  marriage.  The  State  Government  under  the  Matrutva  Yojan provides financial assistance of up to Rs. 5 lakh per married couple for treatment.

Tribal couples in Goa, who have been unable to conceive after three y of marriage, will now get monetary assistance from the Government of up five lakh rupees per married couple, to receive fertility treatment.

Jiyo Parsi program, funded by Minis try of Minority Affairs is aimed at low- income and middle -class Parsis who wouldn't be able to afford expensive medical treatment like IVF. The scheme aims to arrest the decline in popul of the Parsi Zoroastrian Community in India.

(d): At present ,there are no awareness programmes in the Department of Health and Family Welfare to control infertility.