Lok Sabha Question No. 2244 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Menstrual Health
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Kani K. Navas, Jayant Sinha

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2244 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th  DECEMBER 2021

## MENSTRUAL HEALTH

## 2244- SHRI K. NAVASKANI SHRI JAYANT SINHA

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

- (a) Whether any steps taken by the Government towards improvement in menstrual health during the last three years;
- (b) If so, the details thereof and if not the reasons thereof
- (c) The details of the programme being implemented by the Government for education to destigmatize menstrual hygiene
- (d) The steps taken by the Government to ensure accessibility of the menstrual products to girls and women; and
- (e) Total proportion of sanitary products distributed through ASHA workers , State wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (c):  Yes, the Government has taken steady steps towards improvement in menstrual health during the last three years.

The Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years is implemented by the Government since 2011. The major objectives of the scheme are:

- i) To increase awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene
2. ii) To increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls.
3. iii) To ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.

Since  2015-16,  the  Menstrual  Hygiene  Scheme  is  supported  by  National  Health  Mission through State Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) route based on the proposals received from  the  States.    States/UTs  have  decentralized  procurement  of  sanitary  napkins  for ensuring quality standards.

Communication  material  targeted  at  adolescent  girls,  their  gatekeepers,  influencers  and community  at  large  developed  by  MoHFW,  other  partner  ministries,  States,  Development Partners and NGOs is in use to create awareness on healthy practices during menstruation

and  to  dispel  the  myths  and  misconception  around  it.  Capacity  building  of  the  health functionaries is also supported to decrease the stigma of menstruation.

Menstrual Hygiene Scheme covered adolescent girls in 21 States/UTs with provision of Rs. 208 Crore to the States under NHM for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkins in the past three years. Total 1.14 Cr girls have received sanitary napkins during Apr - Sept 2021(HMIS)

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS5) carried out in 2019-21 as compared to NFHS 4 (2015-16) has shown a marked improvement in access to safe menstrual hygiene products for women aged 15-24 years, rising to 77.3% as compared to 57.6% earlier.

- (d) Government took steps to ensure accessibility of menstrual products by the adolescent girls. Under the scheme a pack of sanitary napkins are being provided to adolescent girls by the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA).  Fot this the ASHA herself receives pack for her own use. Government also provides budget to the States/UTs for Orientation of field  level health workers and IEC activities for menstrual hygiene
- (e) Total number of adolescent girls provided sanitary napkins by ASHAs across the States and UTs is placed in the Annexure.

## Annexure

State/UT wise total number of adolescent girls provided sanitary napkins by ASHAs

| S. No   | State/ UT                | 2019-20     | 2020-21     | 2021-22 ( till 30 th Nov 2021)   |
|---------|--------------------------|-------------|-------------|----------------------------------|
| 1       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands | 21          | 0           | 0                                |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh           | 132535      | 878475      | 2432641                          |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh        | 14          | 0           | 0                                |
| 4       | Assam                    | 232755      | 20465       | 16660                            |
| 5       | Bihar                    | 10242       | 152         | 0                                |
| 6       | Chandigarh               | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh             | 0           | 148         | 0                                |
| 8       | DNH and DD               | 184719      | 0           | 4920                             |
| 9       | Delhi                    | 260526      | 1067        | 0                                |
| 10      | Goa                      | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 11      | Gujarat                  | 37946       | 23048       | 86883                            |
| 12      | Haryana                  | 0           | 234548      | 748261                           |
| 13      | Himachal Pradesh         | 1171903     | 2968367     | 1054952                          |
| 14      | Jammu and Kashmir        | 132793      | 353858      | 170063                           |
| 15      | Jharkhand                | 4021        | 395291      | 87453                            |
| 16      | Karnataka                | 5675344     | 1282629     | 55247                            |
| 17      | Kerala                   | 24054       | 640         | 275                              |
| 18      | Ladakh                   | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 19      | Lakshadweep              | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh           | 106129      | 172075      | 10809                            |
| 21      | Maharashtra              | 2808112     | 2889292     | 848781                           |
| 22      | Manipur                  | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 23      | Meghalaya                | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 24      | Mizoram                  | 470         | 0           | 0                                |
| 25      | Nagaland                 | 215         | 0           | 0                                |
| 26      | Odisha                   | 7644152     | 5844591     | 2641707                          |
| 27      | Puducherry               | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 28      | Punjab                   | 1629739     | 373245      | 136277                           |
| 29      | Rajasthan                | 9527        | 2186        | 192                              |
| 30      | Sikkim                   | 0           | 0           | 0                                |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu               | 15205511    | 13436774    | 6443240                          |
| 32      | Telangana                | 3860        | 0           | 67                               |
| 33      | Tripura                  | 43935       | 2637        | 154749                           |
| 34      | Uttarakhand              | 160949      | 31539       | 185560                           |
| 35      | Uttar Pradesh            | 1856623     | 237964      | 217623                           |
| 36 West | Bengal                   | 2553337     | 3628466     | 2366727                          |
| Total   | Total                    | 3,98,89,432 | 3,27,77,457 | 1,76,63,087                      |

(Source: HMIS)