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Focus 2003 October - December English |
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1 Pages 1-10 |
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1.1 Page 1 |
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POPULATION
FOUNDATION
OF INDIA
State Level Conference at Ranch;
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Population Foundation of India otganized a
cwo-day State-level Advocacy Confetence on
Population Stabilization, Healrh and Social
Developmenr Issues in ]hatkhand on November 18-
19, 2003, at Ranchi. The Chief Minister of
]harkhand, Shri Arjun Munda inaugurated the
conference. Dr Dinesh Kumar Sarangi, Minister
of Health and Family Welfare, ]harkhand was the
Guest of Honour. Officials from the Governmenr
of ]harkhand, represenratives from UN,
inrernational, national, and local non-governmenr
organizations attended the conference. Members
from Indian Medical Association, College of
Nursing, corporate bodies and academicians were
part of the august gathering.
From left: Dr. Bharat Ram, Chairman, PH; Shri Arjun
Munda, Chief Minister, fharkhand; Dr. Dinesh Kumar
Sarangi, Minister of H&FW, fharkhand; Mr. A R Nanda,
Executive Director, PF/ releasingthe wall chart
Mr A R Nanda, Execurive Director, PFI,
welcomed the participants. Dr Bharat Ram,
• Chairman, PFI, Governing Board in his opening
remarks during the inaugural session expressed
• concern abour the family planning programme of
• India, which has gone through several phases, from
population conuol to human-cenrred sustainable
• developmenr and the recognition of the need for a
• comprehensive reproductive health care. He said
that the state of ]harkhand has extra miles to walk
and cover ir faster. If rhe reproductive health care
programmes are implemenred in the state with
governmenr, NGO and corporate sector support,
complementing each other and with a strong
political will and commitmenr, the
• state will achieve the goal of
• population srabilization and
developmenr much faster, he added.
Dr Dinesh Kumar Sarangi,
Minister of Health and Family
• Welfare, Governmenr of ]harkhand,
appreciating rhe initiative of the
• Foundation in organizing the
• conference, said that the cwo-day
deliberations will give insights which
• Population and
Development.
2
• Status Report on Female
Foeticide campaign in Rajasthan
and Orissa
4
• National Advocacy Campaign
on Pre-birth Elimination
of Girl Child
5
• will help Governmenr of ]harkhand
• to finalize the state population
policy. He said that the Government
• JRD Tata Awards for Excellence
in Population and RCH
Programmes
8
• of ]harkhand has already moved
• "Young People: Towards a
• ahead in providing better health and
Healthy Future"
10
• medical services by recruiting and
placing doctors in
• Release of Chart Book and
Fact-sheets on HIV/AIDS
12
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Duringthe last five decades India's population
has increased from 36 crores in 1951 to over
102 crores in 2001. It has become a perennial
: population is known as demographic uansition.
As seen from the above Table in 1951, the total
• population ofIndia was lime over 36 crores which grew
source of worry for everyone - politicians, public
• to about 44 crores in 1961 and to about 55 crores in 1971.
leaders, adminisuators, bureaucrats, development
• During the decade 1951-61 absolure increase in population
planners, public health experts, demographers, social
: was about 8 crores, decadal growth rare was 21.6% and
scientists, researchers and even to the common man. It is • average annual exponential growth rare was 1.96. The
ofren being stated that unconuoUed population
• period between 1961-71 recorded the highest ever decadal
explosion is responsible for holding up India's progress • growth rate of 24.8% with a corresponding average
and economic growth and acts as a significant hindrance • annual exponential growth rate of 2.22 with an absolute
to the country's development.
: increase of about 11 crores. The period between 1971
The important question, therefore, that demands an • and 1981 recorded a marginal decrease in decadal growth
answer is : Is India currendy going through a
rate from 24.8% in 1961-71 to 24.6% in 1971-81.
"Population Explosion"? This question admits of the
In fact, India's Population_has been dedinin~steadily
simple answer - defmitely NOT. In order to justifY this
over last two decades since 1981. Average Annual
answer, some basic issues of population growth need to
Exponential Growth rate is also declining, from 2.26 in
be understood. Population growth occurs narurally and
1971-81 to 1.93 in 1991-01. Fertility has also declined.
• has taken place everywhere in all regions of the world
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) i.e. the average number of
and India is no exception. There is a need to understand
children a woman would have, has come down from 6
• the concept of demographic transition. The theory of
in 1951 to 3.2 in 2001. The numbers are growing
• demographic uansition is usually presented in terms of
because of "Population Momentum". Past uends in
• three stages of demographic evolution: First stage is high
fertility and mortality (high fertility and low mortality)
• birth rates and high death rates (high balance); Second • from 1951 to 1981, has shaped the population age
stage is high birth rates and low death rates (high rate of
suucture in such a way that India has over 60 per cent of
• narural increase) and third stage is low birth rates and
Young Population, who are in reproductive age-group or
low death rates (low balance).
will soon be so. Even if this group produces just two or
With the advancement of economic and material
even one per couple, the "quanrum increase" in
progress, education, women's empowerment and
• numbers will be high. India with its large proportion of
availabiliry of contraceptives, birth rate starts
young persons will rake sometime before the results of
declining slowly at first and rapidly thereafter and
• declining fertility start showing explicidy. The family
• soon a stage is reached, the third stage, where the
size and number of children across all population
birth and death rates are equal once again i.e. low
groups, poor or middle class, rural or urban have roughly
balance. This cycle of changes which occurs in any • 44% less children compared to few years back.
Years
1901-51
1951-61
1961-71
1971-81
1981-91
1991-01
Population of India at a glance: 1901-2001
Total
population
(in Crs.)
23 -36
Absolute
mcrease.
(in Crs.)
13
Decadal
growth rate
-
Average annual
exponential
growth rate
-
36 -44
8
44 -55
11
55 -66
13
68 -88
16
84-102
18
+21.6%
+24.8%
+24.6%
+23.9%
+21.3%
1.96%
2.22%
2.20%
2.14%
1.93%
Phase of
demographic
transition
Near stagnant
population
High growth
Rapid high
growth
High growth
with definite
signs of fertility
decline
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Comparison between urban and rural TFR shows that : social development and popularion srabilization. Stares
while urban woman now have 1.7 children less, the rural • with low densiry like Rajasthan is very poor, while high
woman have 2.1 children less than what they had 30
densiry Stare like Karnaraka is economically better off. So
years back (TFR rural 5.6, urban 4.1 in 1970 and rural • no direct relationship can be drawn between population
3.5, urban 2.4 in 1999), though poor often have a large • densiry and economic progress.
unmet need ( In some poorer States unmet needs for
Popularion srabilization is nor a rechnical problem
contraception is as high as 25%) and the desire for
• requiring a technical solurion. The answer does nor lie in
family planning has increased in poor families.
• pushing srerilizations and chasing targers. For population
A country is not poor because it has roo many people. • stabilization, it is importanr to improve people's access
By rapidly lowering birrh rares and reducing feniliry we • particularly women's access to qualiry health care.
cannor eli.minare poverry and improve srandards of living.
Women musr have access to both essential and
Bangladesh for insrance reduced irs TFR rather
• emergency obstettic care. Conuaceptive mix needs ro be
dramatically from aImosr 7(6.8) ro 3.1 during 1975-98,
enlarged and expanded. There is also a need to revitalize
bur this has nor alleviared poverty. In Kerala and Tamil
communiry based health initiatives. The obvious route
Nadu the TFR is below replacement level and yer we
to population stabilization is through social
cannot say thar there is no poverry in these Stares. China • development- through women's empowerment- through
has a much larger population and irs per capita income is
grearer gender equaliry. Women's empowerment is
almost twice thar ofIndia. Again, if we compare with
• critical to human development.
China, between 1975-95, China's per capita GNP grew
The obvious route ro population stabilization is
annually by almost 8% while India's grew only by 3%
• through social development, through women's
during the same period. The stark realiry is thar income
• empowerment, through greater gender equality. Women's
levels and growth depend on how well the Stare rrears irs • empowerment is critical to human development. We also
people, how well the Stare invesrs in irs people in their
• know that there exisrs a direct relationship between infant
education, health, nuuition and their well-being ro
• mortaliry and feniliry. Reducing IMR and child mortaliry
improve their qualiry of life. On the conuary, in our
• is, therefore, important to reduce population growth
country, often the Srare's failure ro provide basic services
and ultimately stabilize population. Interventions for
like health, education erc. is amibured again ro population • improving child survival are well known. Better education,
growth and this becomes a ready and good excuse for
improved access ro qualiry health care, better nuuition,
political leaders ro say "population" is holding up progress • better employment opportunities, higher earnings, safe
and developmem of the country,
• drinking water, better saniration ete. Interestingly enough,
While ir is rrue thar China has broughr down irs
these are the very same interventions which are also
population growth rare remarkably, even more
required for empowering women, improving the qualiry
remarkable drops in the growth rare occurred in Kerala
of life and for stabilizing population. Curbing
over the same period (China's TFR 2.8 in 1979 dropped
population growth cannot be a goal in irself It is only a
to 2.0 in 1991, while Kerala's TFR of3.0 in 1979
• means to development. If development can help in
dropped to 1.8 in 1991) and that too withour any
• stabilizing the population, truly that is a much better
coercion. Also much of the growth rare reducrion in
: and superior solution to one where population growth •
China rook place between 1970 and 1979, before
is curbed in the hope that development will
inuoduction of One Child Policy. The decline in China's automatically follow. Therefore, improvement of
growth rare has irs roors in increasing education access,
health and nutririon, on the other hand, can be an
improvement in economy and improvement in the
end itself and will lead to population stabilization.
sratus of women which took place after Communisr
It is high time, that we stop counting people and
Revolution and before One Child Policy was
instead start counting on people. Public action is
inuoduced. And so, ir is nor entirely clear how much of • required to expand people's capabilities to enlarge
China's ferriliry decline can be actually amibured ro one • opportunities and choices, to invest on social sectors
Child Policy alone. Kerala, for insrance does nor have a • like education, health, nutrition etc. and to promote
very srrong economy, bur ir enjoys the best development • women's empowerment. The simple mantra of
indicators and has gone much below the replacement
• population stabilization is: Take care of the people ~
•
level TFR and stabilized the population. The same is the
population will take care of itself ~
f2..J:.l
casewith Tama Nadu. Haryana, on th oth r hand, has
Dr Almas Ali, Sr. Advisor, Advocacy. •
much berrer economy bur lies far behind in matters of
• (Excerpts from Nfl bulletin, Vol. 25, No.1)
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Population Foundation of India
(PFI) released the report on
'State-level Advocacy Against
Pre-Birth Elimination of Females
(Female Foeticide)'. The project was
undertaken by the Foundation in the
states of Rajasthan and Orissa. The
report contains the experience which
the Foundation gained during
workshops with Members of the State
Legislative Assembly and the Corporate
sector in the two states. The main
objective of the workshops, which were
organized during the period
May-August 2003, was to generate
awareness about the disastrous
demographic and social consequences
of pre-birth sex selection and
elimination of girl child, which
adversely affects the child sex ratio in
cycle approach and Plan India, which strives to
the 0-6 age group.
achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of
The advocacy program was the brain child of the • deprived children with a holistic approach to all
Foundation which is committed towards promotion
of rights-based reproductive health through a life-
child-centered development activities.
The report was released by Mr J K Banthia,
• Registrar General and Census Commissioner of
National Advocacy Campaign against India, who later made a presentation on the
'!'J current scenario of Child Sex Ratio in the
Pre-birth Elimination of Females
~
• country. Expressing his concern about the grim
P••I•c•• . situation of female foeticide prevailing in the
cember 2003
entre, New Delhi
• country, Mr A R Nanda, Executive Director,
• PFI, said rhat the Foundation is planning to start
• a similar exercise in few other states very soon.
• Children from 'Bal Panchayats', an initiative of
Plan India, attended the function and expressed
their commitment towards curbing the practice of
female foeticide in the society. Dr Nalini
Abraham, Country Health Advisor, Plan India,
urged the participants to join hands for this
mission and support the cause. A 13-episode
tele-serial "Atmajaa-born from the soul" was also
• released during the function by Mr Bruno
From left: My J K Banthia, Registrar General & Census
Commissioner - India; Mr. A R Nanda, Executive Director,
PFI and My Bruno Oudmayer, Country Director, Plan
India at the report releasingfimction in New Delhi
Oudmayer, Country Director, Plan India.
The function was attended by more than 150
• participants from various government/
non-government and international organizations.
~
Population Environment Deve/opment-A Bulletin of Population Foundation of India
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Fighting female foeticide tooth and nail
Buoyed by the success of advocacy campaign
against female foeticide in Rajasthan and
Orissa, the Foundation, in association with
Plan India, is slated to launch a similar campaign in
seven other states, namely Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh. The advocacy
program will involve workshops with state
legislators, corporate leaders, NGOs, media and
other professionals working for the cause. The
bottom line of this ambitious project is to:
• Sensitize rhe issue of pre-birrh sex determination
practices and the repercussion of declining Child
Sex Ratio (CSR). The workshops will also be used
to provide a platform to all like-minded people to
come together and create a sense of responsibility
towards the society. The advocacy campaign is
expected to help legislators, corporate leaders and
media to raise their voice against sex determination
and pre-birth elimination of the girl child.
• Sensitization of PNDT Act 1994 and its proper
implementation.
• Address issues like registration of births, deaths,
marriages and pregnancies.
• Key issues
• Some of the key issues that will be taken up for
• discussion during the various workshops are as follows:
• • Population and development programmes with
emphasis on life-cycle, gender and rights-based
approach.
• • Impact of two-child norm and coercive policies.
• • Role that legislators can play to fight the menace.
• Corporate responsibility towards society in general
and pre-birth sex determination practice in particular.
• • Role of main stream media in the fight against
female foeticide.
• • Myths in relation to son preference for family
lineage and performance of last rites.
• Importance of the girl child and her fundamental
right to life.
• Situation of 'missing girls' and its implications.
• Discussion on China's one-child policy and the
present situation.
• • Importance of births, death and pregnancy
registration; ante-natal check-ups etc.
• Ethics in medical profession.
• • Why is there a need for law?
Population Foundation of India is promoting
Population and Development programmes including
Reproductive and Child Health with various non-
government organizations in Bihar. With JANANI, the
Foundation has collaborared to establish clinics in three
districts of Bihar, namely Motihari (East Champaran),
Purnia and Gaya. The objective is to provide easily
accessible training facilities for doctors and ANMs from
private, NGO and public sectors in selected districts of
Bihar, to deliver family planning services at affordable
p'rices to the low and low-middle income groups and to
benchmark and promote quality of care.
JANANI is currently working in Bihar, Jharkhand
and in parts of Madhya Pradesh delivering the entire
range of family planning products and services at a
subsidised rate. The family planning services are
provided through a network of JANANI's own clinics
and 510 doctors who are franchised by JANANI. The
JANANI programme currently protects 15% of couples
using family planning methods in Bihar and Jharkhand.
• The high levels of poverty in Bihar, however, have
put even the low pricing structure beyond the teach of a
vast number of couples. The organization invites
• sponsors for providing family planning procedures to
couples who come from the poorest income segments.
• JANANI's networks of doctors, shops and rural
• providers will deliver the services to the poor clients as
per the rates given below:
Sterlisation (male and female)
IUDs (Cu 380A suitable to women
with many children)
IUDs (Mulriload suitable for women
with one or two children)
Rs. 300
Safe abortions (first trimester)
Rs. 400
Safe abortions (second trimester)
Rs. 900
Injectables (Three month protection)
Rs. 120
Condoms (for a year)
Rs. 90
Oral contraceptives (for a year)
Rs. 60
For more details, visit JANANI at www.janani.org
and contact JANANI at e.mail sangita@janani.org
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Continued from page 1
primary health centres, upgrading medical colleges,
hospitals, etc.
The Chief Minister said that 40 percent of the
Jharkhand's population are socio-economically
deprived and over 50 percent are below the poverty
line and need priority attention. To tackle some
basic issues of health care, the government has gone
in for contractual appointments of nurses and
doctors and placed them in their home districts to
function effectively, he said. The per capita health
care spending has gone up from Rs 80 to Rs 134, he
added. He further said that holistic socio-economic
measures would help arrest the laggard indices for
health in the state. Shri Arjun Munda released a
Wall Chart on Jharkhand : Population and
Development-2003 and a district-profile of
Jharkhand prepared by the Foundation.
Apart from the inaugural and valedictory sessions,
there were five substantive sessions, namely population
and development scenario in Jharkhand; NGOs'
perspective of population stabilization, health and
social development issues; state government's
• perspective of population stabilization, health and
social development issues; policy advocacy: past,
• present and future perspectives and international
parrners'/donors' perspective. Various presentations
were made during these sessions. The print and
• electronic media gave a good coverage to various
presentations and discussions held during the rwo days.
The conference, brought in sharp focus the grim
realities in Jharkhand in relation to growth of
• population, socio-economic condition of the State,
• poor health service-delivery, unmet need in relation
: to family planning and low-level of literacy ete.
The recommendations that emerged out of the
rwo-day conference were later presented at the
valedictory session.
• Broad suggestions and recommendations:
1. The problem in Jharkhand is not necessarily
and primarily one of the specific diseases calling
for specific medical interventions along the
vertical lines, but a broad horizontal problem of
poverty, under-development and social deprivation.
Therefore, disease and health in Jharkhand
should be looked at in the context of social needs
and be related to health and social inequalities.
• 2. There is a need to develop culture-specific BCC
strategy besides spreading mass awareness through
cultural sensitive local media. Client segmented
BCC program should be focused ar
pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation,
action and confirmation.
• 3. Effective partnership with NGOs should be built
in integrating clinical services with motivational
programmes addressing the community needs in
various districts of Jharkhand
• 4. Private health services are accessible with relatively
better quality of care. Public health care services
should be promoted with quality of care as private
health care services are not affordable by a large
majority of population and has a great bearing on
the economy of the health seeker and their
families.
• 5. Target free approach is coming back as the target
approach in the name of RCH camps and this is
leading to a compromise in the quality of care.
Rights and quality reproductive health services
should be provided where individual will be
treated with dignity. This is the key step towards
population stabilization and social development.
6. The Government of Jharkhand has come up with
an action plan for addressing RH and HIV/AIDS
which includes targeted interventions for high
risk groups, prevention for general communities,
low cost AIDS care, institutional strengthening
and inter-sectoral and multi-sectoral partnership.
Special groups, such as CSWs, who have specific
needs in relation to their risky sexual behavior
can be empowered to address their needs by
creating space to express their concern, build
alliances and create enabling environment in
which programs can be owned by them as a
sustainable model.
7. As community based data on sexual behavior and
social norms among both rural and tribal
population is not available, there is a need for
credible surveillance system. There is also a need
for multi-sectoral partnership among all
stakeholders with an integrated approach to RH,
HIV/AIDS priorities. There is a challenging need
to reach out to more vulnerable informal sectors
vcr of labor and to address the stigma related to
and linking it to community.
• 8. Gradually young women are coming forward for
sterilization, i.e., by the age of 23-25 years.
Sterilization is done pre-dominantly by the public
sector. Public services are far more affordable and
need to be strengthened. The ideal age for
sterilization is difficult to arrive at, but the health
care providers should expand the contraceptive
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1.7 Page 7 |
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choices for spacing.
• 14. Some of rhe public senor underraking hospirals
9. A grear challenge lies in reaching ro every corner
which are well equipped wirh secondary
of me rural areas. Franchising and social
faciliries can be urilized for referrals.
markering are some of me models mar are being • 15. A gender sensirive popularion programme is
experimented in rhis field, bur needs cricical
one rhar respecrs reproduccive choices of women
evaluacionfor scaling up.
and men. The Drafr Popularion Policy of me
10. There is a need for a four-pronged srraregy in
Srare encompasses life-cycle approach, based on
rhe Srare: improving capacicy ro deliver resulrs;
gender and human righrs issues and services for
enhancing susrainabilicy; unifYing approach ro
all in rhe srare ro reduce marernal and child
FP/RH inrervenrion and public-privare
morralicy and morbidicy. Qualiry of care should
parrnership.
be rhe focal poinr in achieving rhe objecrives of
11. User-friendly moniroring rools and research
me srare popularion policy. Skill building of
rechniques should be developedfor use by me
medical officers, para-medical sraff, nurses and
communicy memselvesro moniror meir own
dais is needed for providing services wirh
healm srarus.
qualicy of care.
12. GO\\NGOs need ro come rogerher on a
• 16. There is a need ro look ar rhe gaps berween
parmership basisand bener coordinacion is needed
various indicarors relared ro healrh and social
for fruirful implementarion of programmes
developmenr issues nor only from rhe narrow
where rhey complement and supplemenr each
poinr of view rowards reducing rhe number, bur
omer. Mosr of rhe NGOs are siruared ar rhe
from me holisric social development perspeccive.
approachable sires and very few are locared in
There is also a need to undersrand and remove
remore areas.The NGO-workers are nor having
me gaps in acrual execurion and operacionalizarion
clear perceprions abour rhe imporranr paradigm
of rhe policy inrerventions and to bring rhe
shifr in rhe populacion srabilizarion and
same to rhe ground level.
reproducrive healrh programmes mar emerged • 17. Women's access to safe aborrion services means
from me Inrernarional Conference on
rhar rhey musr be able to make meir own
Popularion and Development held in 1994.
ferrilicy decisions, know where to seek aborrion
NGOs coordinarion among rhemselves can
care, demand and receive qualicy care from
srrengrhen rhe NGO nerwork and rhey should
skilled providers, have access ro safe rechnologies
work in rhe communicy wirh gender sensirive
and receive FP and RH services, provided
and righrs-basedapproach.
on-sire or rhrough referral and are rreared
13. Low birm weighr and poor nurrirional and
wirh respecr and dignicy. All rhese issues are ro
healm srarusof women form a vicious cycle.Efforrs
be looked inro while making programme
should be made ro bring down me rareof low birrh
srraregies.
weighr babies.This can be achieved only by
• 18. There is a need to creare an enabling
focusing on rhe key indicarors of reproducrive
environmenr rhar adds value educarion ro
healrh and addressing healrh needs rhroughour
develop individuals of srable personalicywho will be
rhe life-cycle of women.
romorrows responsiblecicizens.
As per rhe 2001 Census, ]harkhand has a toral popularion of26.9 million of which 13.9 millions are
males and rhe remaining 13 millions are females. For rhe period 1991-2001, ]harkhand's growrh rare
(23.2%) has been much lower rhan rhar of Bihar (28.4%), bur above rhe narional growrh rare (21.3%).
The popularion densicy in ]harkhand has also increased considerably berween 1991 and 2001 from 274
ro 338 persons per square kilomerer and varies from a minimum of 148 persons per sq. km. to 1,167
persons per sq. krn. Being a rural srare, 78% of irs popularion lives in 32,000 rural serdemenrs while
22% of irs popularion is residing in 43 urban senlemenrs across me srare. Only 45% of rhe villages in
]harkhand have electricicy. Of rhe total popularion, 25% belong ro scheduled casres. In all, there are
31 scheduled rribes in ]harkhand. There are nine primitive rribal groups rhar are likely
ro become extinct if special measures are nor taken ro increase rheir popularion and
preserve rheir separare idenriries and culrures.
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r r 0W-r'~-)--r-l --r-l 'P-.J,::":J)
Population Foundation of India organized a function to give away the
third ]RD Tata Awards for excellence in Population and Reproductive
Child Health Programmes on November 7, 2003 at PHD House,
New Delhi.
The Vice-President ofIndia, Shri Bhairon
Singh Shekhawat, who was the chief guest,
gave away the awards to the best State and
Districts. Himachal Pradesh was adjudged the best
performing Stare in Population and Reproductive &
Child Health Programme for the year 2002. Award
for rhe best districr in the large population caregory
• trophy, cash of Rs.l 0 lakhs and a certificate. The
• award for the best Districts contained a rolling
• shield, cash of Rs.2 lakhs and a certificate.
The funcrion was attended among others by
• Ms Chandresh Kumari, Minister for Healrh and
• Family Welfare, Government of Himachal Pradesh.
Dr Bharat Ram, Chairman, PFI, in his speech
• mentioned that a high-level committee was
• constituted to set standards and ground rules for the
• awards. The Committee, which was chaired by
Ms Justice Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of
Himachal Pradesh and Member, Law Commission
• of India, included Mr B G Deshmukh, Dr M S
• Swaminathan, Dr Abid Hussain, Mrs Nirmala Buch,
• Dr K Srinivasan and Mr A R Nanda. The Technical
: Advisory Committee consisted of Dr P M Kulkarni,
• Ms. Chandresh Kumari, Minister for Health and
• Family Welfare (H.P), receiving the award for the best
• state from the Vice-President
(more rhan 3.0 million) went to West
Godavari in Andhra Pradesh while Churu
• district of Rajasthan and Lahaul & Spiti of
• Himachal Pradesh bagged rhe awards in the
medium population category (1.8 to 3.0
• million) and small population category (less
• than 1.8 million) respectively.
Awards for the best districts on RCH programmes
in the not-so-good performing states were given to Ri
• Bhoi in Meghalaya, Ranchi in Jharkhand and
Bhagalpur in Bihar.
The award for the best State contained a rolling
Awardees with the Vice-President and Chairperson of the
• Awards Committee
• Dr Arvind Pandey and Dr Almas Ali.
Ms Justice Leila Seth, Chairperson, Awards
Committee explained the participants about the
• selection strategy followed to judge the best state and
districts for the award. She listed out the sixteen
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1.9 Page 9 |
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by Dr Pradeep Kumar, Depury
Commissioner, Ranchi .
• The award for Bhagalpur was
received joindy by Mr A K
Chauhan, Commissioner
(Bhagalpur) and
Mr Shambhu Dayal Khairan,
Chairman, Zilla Parishad,
Bhagalpuf.
Ms Chandresh Kumari, addressing
the function, pointed out mat mough
Himachal Pradesh lacks in
various socio-economic indicarors, me
women's literacy level has increased
considerably in me recent past.
The Vice-President ofIndia in his
Kumari Gatuk Angmo, President Zilla Parishad and Mr. P C Kapoor,
Secretary Health, Government of Himachal Pradesh, receiving the award
fOr Lahaul & Spiti district
speech said mat mough some states are
doing well in checking population
growth, omers are lagging behind in me
areas of population and development.
indicarors which were used in the selection process.
He said mat our country has me potential to make
She furmer said that these sixteen indicarors covered • much faster and more effective progress rowards
a wide range parameters like feniliry,
mortaliry, educational levels, maternal care
and government expenditure on the social
secrof. In short, they capture the processes
and achievements in human development
and population stabilization, she said.
• Ms Chandresh Kumari, Minister for
Health and Family Welfare,
Government of Himachal
Pradesh received the award for the State
Himachal Pradesh.
• The award for West Godavari District
(Andhra Pradesh) was received joindy
by Mr Sanjay Jaju, Collecror & District
Magistrate and Mr K Jayaraju,
Chairman, Zilla Parishad, West
Godavari District.
Mr. W L Lyngdoh, Deputy Commissioner, District Ri Bhoi,
receiving the award
• For Churu District (Rajasthan), the award was
• human development indicarors such as literacy and
received by Mr R Venkateswaran, District
• education, reduction of infant monaliry and maternal
Collecror, Churu and Mr Ram Dev Singh
• monaliry, ere. But, however, me progress has been very
Dhaka, Zilla Pramukh, Zilla Parishad, Churu.
• uneven across me states and regions, he added. The
• The award for Lahaul & Spiti district was
• areas, which are lagging behind have ro come up faster,
received by Kumari Garuk Angmo, President,
he said. Encouraging me efforts of PFI, he said thar
Zilla Parishad and Mr P C Kapoor, Secretary,
me governmental efforts are not sufficient ro deal wim
Healm, Government of Himachal Pradesh.
• mese issues and more and more social organizations
• The award for Ri Bhoi was received by
have ro come forward.
Mr W L Lyngdoh, Depury Commissioner, Ri Bhoi. • Prof. Ranjit Roy Chaudhury, Member,
• For Ranchi the award was received
Governing Board, PFI proposed a vote of thanks.
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Young people in the age group of 10-24 years
comprise 31 pet cent ofIndia's population
and their number is rapidly increasing.
Adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH)
has been recognized as a major focus area of the
countrywide reproductive and child health
programme.
Considering the timely need for addressing
various issues of adolescents, a National Consortium
was formed in the mid 2003. The core members of
the consortium are Centre for Health Education,
Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA),
Community Aid Sponsorship Programme (CASP),
Centre for Development and Population Activity
(CEDPA), Population Foundation of India (PFl),
Pathfinder International, CINI, MAMTA,
National Foundation of India (Nfl) and Global
• Health Council.
To start with, the Consortium has decided to
organize a state-level consultation to review the
policies and programmes pertaining to young
people's sexual and reproductive rights and to build
• a broader advocacy forum with regard to young
people's issues involving more NGOs and the
government. PFl and CINI have taken the
responsibility of organizing this Consultation in the
state of ]harkhand.
PFI-Packard Initiatives on Young Adults'
· Sexual and Reproductive Health in the
State of Jharkhand
PFl in collaboration with David and Lucile
Packard Foundatio!1, USA, launched an adolescent
sexual and reproductive health project in December
2003 in Bihar (Gaya and Vaishali) and ]harkhand
• (Ranchi and Hazaribagh), covering 61 blocks. The
• objective of the project is to create a supportive
• policy and programme environment in the State.
• The proposed advocacy efforts will consist of
• sensitization and orientation of the block-level
• government officials, health care institutions and
: service providers, Panchayati Raj institutions, local
• RMPs, NGOs/CBOs, including adolescents and
• youth through a series of workshops and coming up
with an implementable strategies and Action Plans
• for a district. The district-level Action Plan thus
• prepared will be shared with the state-level
• officials and the recommendations emerging from
• the state-level workshop will be incorporated in
preparing the final state-level Action Plan for
• implementing adolescent and youth friendly
reproductive and sexual health policies and
programmes in the State.
In this process, PFI has started implementing an
intensive advocacy programme on Young Adult's
Sexual and Reproductive Health in two districts of
]harkhand, namely, Ranchi and Hazaribag. As a first
• step, two block-level workshops were organized for
• Khunti and Karra blocks on 17th and 18th December
2003 respectively.
Adolescent Initiatives: Shaping futures in
UUaranchal
PFI in collaboration with Himalayan Institute
Hospital Trust (HIHT), Dehradun, has launched
an Adolescent Initiatives Project in three
districts - Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and
Nainital in Uttaranchal in February 2003. Three
• blocks in these districts were selected for the
intervention research.
To starr with, four state-level NGOs were
• selected from these districts to do a Community
• Needs Assessment in their work areas. The findings
• were later incorporated for designing the baseline
• survey questionnaire. A directory of NGOs working
on adolescent health in the state of Uttaranchal has
: been prepared. An adolescent resource centre has
been established at HIHT, Dehradun, for imparting
• knowledge and understanding on the adolescent
• needs. The development of training modules on
• several aspects of adolescent health is under progress
and preliminary activities for developing the
• BCC package for adolescents is being
• carried our. A vocational cell has been set up to
• initiate career development prospects for youth in
• Uttaranchal. A career development reference
directory has also been developed outlining the
• organizations providing technical and financial
assistance for vocational development. Baseline
• survey has been completed.
~
Population Environment Deve/opment-A Bulletin of Population Foundation of India
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2 Pages 11-20 |
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Population Stabilization and Sustainable
Development - Need for Decentralized Planning
and Programme Interventions
Population Foundation of India recently
published a booklet for Parliamentarians on
"Population Stabilization and Sustainable
Development - Need for Decentralized Planning
and Programme Interventions". The booklet was
disseminated among the M.Ps in December 2003.
The aim of this publication was ro inform the
Parliamentarians about their advocacy role in
promoting various social issues like age at marriage,
reducing maternal/infant mortality, decline in child
sex tatio, adolescent health, male participation in
reproductive and child health and the quality of
care in providing health services. The booklet
contains tabulated comparative data on India's
population growth from 1991 to 2001, Child Sex
• Ratio in the States and Union
Territories and Reproductive
• Health Programme Quality
• Framework. The booklet also
briefs abour the ational
• Population Policy (NPP)
2000 - Objectives, Goals and
Strategic Themes. Efforts
• were made to rank all
• districts in India according
• to the prevailing Child Sex-
• Ratio (0-6 years) and
: composite indicators of
• Reproductive Health and
• Development.
New Born Week
Iits universally accepted that a newborn needs
warmth at birth and thereafter. If not kept warm,
the babies can get very cold and JUStthe coldness can
lead to complications and cause death. The condition
of temperature below the normal temperature
(between 36.5 - 37.5° C) is called Hypothermia.
Hypothermia is one of the most common causes of
death in the newborn. In hypotherrmic condition,
the newborn becomes very cold to touch, refuses to
feed, is not very alert and active and in severe cases,
will have bleeding tendencies and cardio-respiratory
arrest. Bur, sadly, most of those who are
involved with birth process fail to keep
the birth room warm or provide extra
warmth to the newborn. They
perhaps do so inadvertently bur the
consequences of this preventable neglect
are enormous on the survival of the newborn.
The following are some of the methods of
keeping the newborn warm:
Dry and wrap the newborn immediately after
birth, breast feed early, keep the newborn close to
the mother so that the mother's warmth can keep
the newborn warm, put adequate clothing on the
newborn to keep warm, do nor give bath to the
baby immediately and delay as long as possible,
bath should be given in warm water when it is
necessary; change the wet clothes of the newborn
immediately and keep dry, the birthing room and
the nursing room should be heated to keep warm.
To contribute to the national concern of
• reduction of an unacceptably high neonatal
morbidity and mortaliry rates, and being fully
• aware that hypothermia at birth or subsequently is
• a major contributory factor, the National
• Neonatology Forum (NNF) decided to launch a
public and professional awareness
programme with the theme "keep
me warm to help me survive"
during the National Newborn Week
from 15rh - 21" November 2003.
Reporrs received so far indicate that the
PFI's parmers, the Centre for Rural Education
• and Development (CRED), Tamil Nadu, Parivar
• Kalyan Sanstha (PKS), Ranbaxy Community
• Healthcare Society, Dewas, Himalayan Institute of
• Hospital Trust (HIHT), Dehradun, Parivar Mangal
• Trust, Pune, Boruka Charitable Trust, Rajasthan,
• Social Awateness & Development Organisation for
• Women (SAADOW), Tamil Nadu observed the
• newborn week by organizing awareness ,ampaigns
• for mothers, dais and health workers, ete.
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th
an aim to disseminate information on HIV /
AIDS ro NGOs, members of Panchayari Raj
~
Instirutions and the grassroots level workers,
Population Foundation of India and Population Reference
Bureau, Washingron D.C. have come up with a Chart Book
and Fact-sheets on the issue. The projecr, which was complered
with the assistance from Bill
From left Mr. A.R.Nanda,
ED, PH Mr. JVR Prasada
Rao, Health Secretary, Prof
Ranjit Roy Chaudhury,
member, GB, PFI,
Dr. Meenakshi Dutta
Ghosh, Project Director,
MACa, Prof Carl Haub,
Sr. Demographer, PRE &
Dr. Ravi verma,
Programme Associate,
Population Council.
Gates Foundation-Global Support Initiative, covered six states
of India namely- Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnaraka,
• Maharashrra, Manipur and agaJand.
A media briefing about the publication was organized in
• Delhi. The Press was joimly addressed by Dr Carl Haub,
Senior Demographer, Popularion Reference Bureau, (PRB) ,
• Washingron and Mr A R Nanda, Executive Director, PFI.
The function was followed by the PRB-PFI
• Development Partners' Meet. The occasion was graced by
the release of the Chart Book on HIV/AIDS by Mr JVR
• Prasada Rao, Health Secretary, Government of India while
Mrs Meenakshi Dutra Ghosh, Project Director, National
• AIDS Comrol Organization released the Fact-sheets. The
• august gathering included representatives from various
• international organizations like WHO, ILO, INTRAH,
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC Global
• Programme on AIDS, Plan International, UNFPA,
• CEDPA, Canada Fund for Local Initiative, CARE India
• and many national NGOs.
New Joinings and Departure
Dr Almas Ali, M. D. (Medicine), Ph. D. (Clinical Haematology)has
• research articles/scientific publications in national
joined the Foundation as Seniot Advisot (Advocacy). He is physician
and international journals to his credit.
by training with an interest and Aair for social and development
reseatch. He is an authority on Tribal Health. During his illustrious
Mr K Laxmi Rao, post-graduate in Mass
career, he has served in Government, NGOs and UN Organisations in • Communication, has joined the Foundation as Junior
various capacities such as-Member Secretary, Independent
Consultant for advocacy programmes. Earlier, he was
Commission on Health in India, Honorary Secretary ofYHAl,
with Doordarshan as a ptogramme producer/directot.
Programme Director ofUNDP's South Asia Poverty Alleviation
Programme in Andhra Pradesh, Consultant (Population Policy Advocacy)
with UNFPA and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of
India, to name a few. He has over 15 books and monographs and over 100
Mr Manoj Kar, Consultant, HIV/AIDS, has left the Foundation.
He was with the Foundation for a period of six months.
Published by Population Foundation of India
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area,
New Delhi-I 10016.
Tel.: 26867080, 26867081 Fax: 26852766
e-mail: popfound@sify.com
/ website: www.popfound.otg
Editorial
Editor:
Editorial
Editorial
Direction & Guidance:
Mr AR Nanda
Mrs Geeta Malhotra
Commirree:
Dr B P Thiagarajan
Dr Kumudha Aruldas
Assistance:
Ms R Vanaja
'1If undelivered please return to:
Population Foundation of India
•1• a B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, Tara Crescent,
New Delhi-llOOI6.