Lok Sabha Question No. 72 (STARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Programmes for Maternal Health Protection
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 72 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH FEBRUARY, 2025

## PROGRAMMES FOR MATERNALHEALTH PROTECTION

## †*72. SMT. DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI: SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

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

- (a) the details of medical checkup programmes and nutrition availability for maternal health protection in tribal dominated remote areas/districts across the country, State/UT-wise including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli;
- (b) the programmes being run by the Government to create awareness and alertness among pregnant women regarding protection of newborns and infectious diseases related to maternal health in the country including Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar earlier known as Aurangabad in the State of Maharashtra; and
- (c) the chronological details of the achievements made under the said programmes during the last five years?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 72 FOR 7 TH FEBRUARY, 2025

(a): The Government of India in collaboration with States/Union Territories (UTs) implements various programmes to provide medical checkups and nutrition to the Pregnant Women and Postnatal Mothers across the country including the tribal dominated remote areas/districts across the country, and in the State of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Details of these programs are as follows:

-  Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women a fixed day, free of cost, assured and quality antenatal check up by a Specialist/Medical Officer on the 9th day of every month. Extended PMSMA strategy focuses on quality antenatal care (ANC) for pregnant women, especially high-risk pregnant (HRP) women and individual HRP tracking with financial incentivization for the identified high-risk pregnant women and accompanying Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for extra 3 visits over and above the PMSMA visit.
-  Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to have absolutely free and no expense delivery, including caesarean section. The entitlements include free drugs and consumables, free diet during stay, free diagnostics, free transportation and free blood transfusion, if required. Similar entitlements are also in place for sick infants (up to one year of age).
-  Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awareness on maternal and child-care including nutrition in convergence with Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
-  Outreach camps are provisioned for improving the reach of health care services especially in tribal and hard to reach areas. This platform is used to increase the awareness for the Maternal and Child health services, community mobilization as well as to track high risk pregnancies.
-  Optimizing Postnatal Care aims to strengthen the quality of postnatal care by laying emphasis on detection of danger signs in mothers and incentivization of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for prompt detection, referral and treatment of such high-risk postpartum mothers.
-  Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy is implemented to reduce anemia among six beneficiaries age group -children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via robust institutional mechanism.
-  Under Mission Poshan 2.0 , supplementary nutrition is provided to children (6 months to 6 years), pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls, following updated National Food Security Act (NFSA) norms that emphasize diet diversity. The mission also promotes fortified rice and millet use, and conducts community mobilization and awareness campaigns, including Jan Andolans and monthly Community Based Events, to improve nutritional practices.
-  Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a Centrally Sponsored Maternity Benefit Scheme is implemented to provide cash incentive for partial compensation for the wage loss so that women can take adequate rest before and after delivery, and to improve the health seeking behaviour amongst the Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM).

(b) and (c): The programmes being implemented by the Government of India to create awareness and alertness among pregnant women regarding protection of newborns and infectious diseases related to maternal health in the country including Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in the State of Maharashtra are as under:

-  Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) to create awareness among pregnant women through structured home visits performed by ASHAs focuses on promotion of various activities to improve newborn survival. These activities are as follows;
- o Examination of New born for growth
- o Focus on Low Birth Weight and Pre-term babies
- o Referral and Follow up of Sick babies
- o Counselling of mother/ family on child care skills, exclusive breast feeding, postpartum care and family planning.

The achievements made under the programme is as under:

| Financial Year      | Mothers and newborns covered under Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) programme   | Mothers and newborns covered under Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) programme   |
|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Financial Year      | India                                                                          | Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar                                                     |
| 1,42,39,469         | 32,051                                                                         | 2019-20                                                                        |
| 1,34,38,520         | 25,692                                                                         | 2020-21                                                                        |
| 1,37,10,886         | 37,733                                                                         | 2021-22                                                                        |
| 1,47,05,113         | 32,935                                                                         | 2022-23                                                                        |
| 2023-24 1,46,38,441 | 31,068                                                                         |                                                                                |

Source:

State/UT reports

-  Mothers ' Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme is implemented to improve breastfeeding practices coverage to support newborn health, which includes early initiation of breastfeeding irrespective of mode of delivery and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months.
-  Interventions for Elimination of Vertical Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Syphilis are an integral part of National AIDS and STD Control Programme, implemented across the country. Pregnant women are tested for Syphilis and HIV in the country including district Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The mother to child transmission of HIV has reduced from around 25% in 2020 to 11.75% in 2023.

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