Lok Sabha Question No. 2214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Expectant Mothers
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Bhola Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2214 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## EXPECTANT MOTHERS

## 2214. SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

Will the MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether the Government is implementing any scheme to ensure health and wellbeing of expectant mothers and their children;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of initiatives taken/being taken by the Government to ensure protection and wellbeing of children below three years of age of working mothers; and
- (d) the steps being taken by the Government to reduce the mortality rate among children due to malnutrition in the country?

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

- (a),  (b)  and  (c)  Government  of  India  implements  various  schemes  under  the  National  Health Mission,  to  ensure  health  and  wellbeing  of  expectant  mothers  and  their  children,  which  also cover children below three years of age of working mothers. These schemes include:
1. Janani  Suraksha  Yojana  (JSY) ,  a  demand  promotion  and  conditional  cash  transfer scheme which aims at promoting institutional delivery. Financial assistance under JSY is available  to  all  pregnant  women  in  those  States/UTs  which  are  categorized  as  Low Performing  States.  However,  in  remaining  States/UTs  where  the  levels  of  institutional delivery are satisfactory (categorized as High Performing States); pregnant women from BPL/SC/ST households only are entitled for JSY benefits. For home delivery, financial assistance under JSY is available to pregnant women from BPL households only.
2. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) entitles  every  pregnant  woman to free delivery,  including  caesarean  section,  in  public  health  institutions  along  with  the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables, diet and blood (if
- required). Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment
3. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides fixed-day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care universally to all pregnant women in their 2nd / 3rd trimesters on the 9th of every month. As part of the Abhiyan, a minimum package of antenatal  care  services  is  provided  by  OBGY  specialists/  Radiologist/  Physicians  at government health facilities.
4. Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative (LaQshya) aims to improve the quality of care in Labour room and Maternity operation theatres to ensure that pregnant women receive respectful and quality care during delivery and immediate post-partum
5. Surakshit Matratva Ashwasan (SUMAN) aims to provide assured, dignified, respectful and  quality  healthcare  at  no  cost  and  zero  tolerance  for  denial  of  services  for  every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility.
6. Facility Based New Born CareSick New-born Care Units (SNCUs) are established at District Hospital and Medical College level and New-born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) established at First Referral Units (FRUs)/ Community Health Centres (CHC) for care of sick and small babies.
7. Under Home  Based  New-born  Care  (HBNC) and Home-Based  Care  of  Young Children  (HBYC) program,  home  visits  by  ASHAs  are  conducted  to  improve  child rearing practices and to identify sick new-born and young children in the community.
8. Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months and appropriate Infant and  Young  Child  Feeding  (IYCF) practices  are  promoted  under Mothers'  Absolute Affection (MAA).
9. Social  Awareness  and  Actions  to  Neutralize  Pneumonia  Successfully  (SAANS) initiative has been launched for reduction of Childhood morbidity and mortality due to Pneumonia.
10. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) is  implemented to provide vaccination to children  against  life  threatening  diseases  such  as  Tuberculosis,  Diphtheria,  Pertussis, Polio,  Tetanus,  Hepatitis  B,  Measles,  Rubella,  Pneumonia  and  Meningitis  caused  by Haemophilus  Influenzae  B.  The  Rotavirus  vaccination  has  also  been  rolled  out  in  the country for prevention of Rota-viral diarrhoea. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) has been introduced in all the States and UTs.
11. Children from 0 to 18 years of age are screened for 30 health conditions (i.e. Diseases, Deficiencies,  Defects  and  Developmental  delay)  under 'Rashtriya  Bal  Swasthya Karyakaram  (RBSK)' to  improve  child  survival.  District  Early  Intervention  Centre (DEIC) at district health facility level are established for confirmation and management of children screened under RBSK.
12. Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) have been set up at public health facilities to treat  and  manage  the  children  with  Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  (SAM)  admitted  with medical complications.
13. Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight / Defeat Diarrhoea (D2) initiative has been launched for promoting ORS and Zinc use and for reducing diarrheal deaths.
14. Several capacity building programs of health care providers are conducted for improving maternal and child survival and health outcomes.

(d)  The  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  implements  RMNCHA+N  strategy  under National  Health  Mission  (NHM),  which  includes  various  activities  related  to  improvement  in nutritional status of children. The related program details are as under-

1. Appropriate Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  (IYCF) practices including  early initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of childbirth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months are promoted under Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) programme.
2. Treatment of sick children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at special units called the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), set up at public health facilities.
3. Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) for children of 9 to 59 months age.
4. 'Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) ' for supplementation and treatment of anaemia through a life  cycle  approach  i.e.  in  children,  adolescents,  pregnant  and  lactating  women,  and women of reproductive age group. This includes bi-weekly IFA syrup supplementation to children 6 - 59 months and weekly IFA tablet supplementation to children 5 - 10 years.
5. National De-worming Day as a fixed day strategy to administer Albendazole tablets to all the children in the age group of 1-19 years through the platform of AWCs and schools for good nutritional outcomes and prevention of anaemia.
6. Prevention  of  childhood  illness such  as  diarrheal  diseases  which  in  turn  prevents childhood malnutrition.