Lok Sabha Question No. 2986 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-17
Subject: Menstrual Hygiene Scheme
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2986 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  MARCH 2023

## MENSTRUAL HYGIENE SCHEME

## 2986: SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN

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

- (a)  Whether  the  Menstrual  Hygiene  Scheme,  which  aims  to  address  the  need  for  menstrual hygiene  among  adolescent  girls  residing  primarily  in  rural  areas,  is  fulfilling  its  unique objectives of improving access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT wise along with the relevant details of  funds provided to States/ UTs, particularly Kerala, through National Health Missions as per proposals received from them in their Programme Implementation Plans for making provision of sanitary napkin packs to adolescent girls at subsidized rates in the last five years;
- (c) whether any significant steps are being taken to address the anomalies on implementation side and if so the details thereof and if not the reasons thereof; and
- (d)  the  noteworthy  role  of  Accredited  Social  Health  Activists  (ASHAs)  under  the  scheme  in Kerala?

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

(a) 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.

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.The States have been instructed to take up procurement of sanitary napkins packs at prices reached through competitive bidding.

26  States/UTs  are  implementing  the  scheme  either  with  NHM  budget  or  combined  budget  of NHM  and  State.  In  FY  2021-22  approximately  34.92  lakh  adolescent  girls  were  provided sanitary napkin packs every month (HMIS data)

The  percentage  of  women  age  15-24  using  a  hygienic  method  of  protection  during  their menstrual period has also increased from 58 % in National Family Health Survey 4 (NFHS 4) done in 2015-16 to 78 % in NFHS 5 (2019-21). Similarly, the usage of Sanitary Napkins has also increased from 42% to 64%.

(b)  State/ UT wise number of beneficiaries under the Menstrual Hygiene Schemes is placed at Annexure 'A' . State/ UT wise funds provided under the Menstrual Hygiene Schemes is placed at Annexure 'B'

(c) No anomalies reported yet however the States/ UTs are also taking up capacity building of the  health  functionaries  supported  under  NHM  to  sensitize  them  towards  the  scheme  and  for seamless implementation of the Scheme.

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.

(d) The role of the ASHAs under the Scheme is similar in all States/ UTs. ASHAs hold monthly meetings with the adolescent girls in their area to talk about health issues including menstrual hygiene  management  .The  sanitary  napkin  packs  are  provided  to  the  adolescent  girls  at subsidized rates by the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).

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Annexure A State wise and year wise number of total number of adolescent girls (10-19years) provided with Sanitary Napkins under the Menstrual Hygiene Schemes

| Sr. No   | State/ UT           | 2017-18   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   | 2021-22   |
|----------|---------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | Andaman &NicobarIsl | 0         | 0         | 21        | 0         | 0         |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh      | 2418163   | 3216600   | 132535    | 878475    | 11680448  |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh   | 0         | 24        | 14        | 0         | 0         |
| 4        | Assam               | 22366     | 413481    | 232755    | 20465     | 29867     |
| 5        | Bihar               | 0         | 0         | 10242     | 152       | 0         |
| 6        | Chandigarh          | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh        | 0         | 3         | 0         | 148       | 0         |
|          | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 0         | 1976616   |           |           |           |
| 8        | Daman &Diu          | 34893     | 87669     | 184719    | 0         | 4920      |
| 9        | Delhi               | 0         | 0         | 260526    | 1067      | 0         |
| 10       | Goa                 | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 11       | Gujarat             | 969844    | 85583     | 37946     | 23048     | 96685     |
| 12       | Haryana             | 0         | 0         | 0         | 234548    | 1388757   |
| 13       | Himachal Pradesh    | 1216008   | 884469    | 1171903   | 2968367   | 1508814   |
| 14       | Jammu and Kashmir   | 128352    | 17532     | 132793    | 353858    | 206740    |
| 15       | Jharkhand           | 322938    | 0         | 4021      | 395291    | 170303    |
| 16       | Karnataka           | 6377719   | 1847769   | 5675344   | 1282629   | 245739    |
| 17       | Kerala              | 25161     | 338740    | 24054     | 640       | 323       |
| 18       | Ladakh              |           |           | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 19       | Lakshadweep         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh      | 34870     | 22474     | 106129    | 172075    | 21501     |
| 21       | Maharashtra         | 31669     | 4159      | 2808112   | 2889292   | 1025417   |
| 22       | Manipur             | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 1772      |
| 23       | Meghalaya           | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 20        |
| 24       | Mizoram             | 14532     | 0         | 470       | 0         | 854       |
| 25       | Nagaland            | 0         | 0         | 215       | 0         | 600       |
| 26       | Odisha              | 1218051   | 2104508   | 7644152   | 5844591   | 5827548   |
| 27       | Puducherry          | 4594      | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         |
| 28       | Punjab              | 0         | 55302     | 1629739   | 373245    | 158558    |
| 29       | Rajasthan           | 629692    | 682819    | 9527      | 2186      | 314       |
| 30       | Sikkim              | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 2         |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu          | 18000000  | 14055781  | 15205511  | 13436774  | 14878335  |
| 32       | Telangana           | 0         | 0         | 3860      | 0         | 113       |
| 33       | Tripura             | 16029     | 19747     | 43935     | 2637      | 287131    |
| 34       | Uttarakhand         | 0         | 456948    | 160949    | 31539     | 473320    |
| 35       | Uttar Pradesh       | 82328     | 1375568   | 1856623   | 237964    | 567516    |
| 36       | West Bengal         | 360413    | 1518892   | 2553337   | 3628466   | 3329204   |

Source : HMIS

## Annexure B

## Details of State Programme Implementation Plan (SPIP) Approvals under Menstrual Hygiene Scheme during the period from F.Y. 2017-18 to 2021-22

(Rs. In lakhs)

| State                              |   2017-18 SPIP Approvals |   2018-19 SPIP Approvals |   2019-20 SPIP Approvals |   2020-21 SPIP Approvals |   2021-22 SPIP Approvals |
|------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Andaman &Nicobar Islands           |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |
| Andhra Pradesh                     |                   404.05 |                   407.81 |                     0    |                   589.35 |                  2977.47 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                  |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |
| Assam                              |                   390.7  |                     0    |                   288.62 |                   165.34 |                   601.8  |
| Bihar                              |                   183.45 |                     0    |                   957.6  |                   789.64 |                     0    |
| Chandigarh                         |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |
| Chhattisgarh                       |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                   303.48 |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     5.04 |
| Delhi                              |                     0    |                    82.08 |                    97.96 |                   182.4  |                   188.2  |
| Goa                                |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                    15.3  |
| Gujarat                            |                   358.01 |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                   327.37 |
| Haryana                            |                   489.3  |                   196.9  |                     0    |                     0    |                   297.6  |
| Himachal Pradesh                   |                   266    |                     0    |                   385.17 |                    98    |                    99.45 |
| Jammu &Kashmir                     |                   118.06 |                     0    |                   102.72 |                   443.44 |                   123.47 |
| Jharkhand                          |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                   702.37 |
| Karnataka                          |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                   370.39 |
| Kerala                             |                    66.5  |                    26.6  |                   119.7  |                   119.7  |                   230.33 |
| Ladakh                             |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                    42.8  |
| Lakshadweep                        |                    14.4  |                     0    |                     0    |                     7.71 |                    10.42 |
| Madhya Pradesh                     |                     0    |                     0    |                   107.25 |                     0    |                   969.44 |
| Maharashtra                        |                   766.08 |                   531.45 |                   100    |                   943.97 |                     0    |
| Manipur                            |                     0    |                     0    |                   116.2  |                   114.04 |                   116.24 |
| Meghalaya                          |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                    62.92 |
| Mizoram                            |                     4.53 |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                    92.64 |
| Nagaland                           |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     5.69 |                    27.48 |
| Orissa                             |                   502.95 |                   804.09 |                   382.23 |                   375.41 |                  1919.83 |
| Puducherry                         |                     0    |                     0    |                    36    |                    36    |                    51.83 |
| Punjab                             |                   140    |                     0    |                     0    |                   139.65 |                  1218.21 |
| Rajasthan                          |                     0    |                     0    |                  3000    |                  1500    |                  2082.35 |
| Sikkim                             |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     4.51 |
| Tamil Nadu                         |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                   186    |
| Telangana                          |                   284.74 |                   273.8  |                     0    |                     0    |                   463.24 |
| Tripura                            |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                    56    |                    99.15 |
| Uttar Pradesh                      |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                     0    |                  5226.92 |
| Uttarakhand                        |                     0    |                     0    |                   134.06 |                   261.57 |                   152.93 |
| West Bengal                        |                   456.26 |                     0    |                   756.65 |                   568.91 |                  1660.68 |

## Note:

1. The above data is as per the available Financial Management Reports reported by State/UTs.
2. In the year 2021-22 separate FMR for Menstrual Hygiene was not captured, hence SPIP Approvals and Expenditure under procurement of Drugs and Supplies for Adolescent Health is provided
3. After the reorganization of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into the Union Territory of J&K and Union Territory of Ladakh, NHM funds to the UT of Ladakh were disbursed for the first time during 2020-21.

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