5

Apr

Communication Key to Reproductive Health Programme

image

India’s Sexual & Reproductive Health Program: Communication is the Key

Dr. J. S. Yadav

Mere awareness generation about Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights – (SRHR), including different family planning (FP) methods and services that the Government and other agencies are providing is not enough. Rather, there is a need for Social and Behaviour Change of the target audiences regarding a whole set of beliefs and practices having bearing upon SRHR/FP; and communication plays a significant role in this.

SRHR touches life from womb to tomb. It would involve awareness, orientation, commitment, skill development including communication skills of all stakeholders-policy makers, service providers and users with a view to achieve the SRHR/FP objectives and move toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 thereby successfully meeting not only current challenges but also new challenges of Covid-19 and its variant like Omicron.

Recognizing the link between population and socio-economic development,   India was one of the first countries in the world to adopt Family Planning Program as a part of its planning process in 1951.  The Program expanded over the years and various schemes were initiated in light of experience of ground realities. These among others included: RCH, SRH, ICDS, Immunization, RMNCH+ etc. The purpose was small family, healthy family, welfare of the people, and development & growth of the country. But the thrust was lowering of the TFR-Total Fertility and IMR-Infant Mortality Rate.

Population Growth

It may be flagged that India’s population increased from about 35 crores in August 1947 when the country became free from the British colonial rule to 135 crores in August 2021.  Such an increase in population tells a story in itself and has many implications in terms of resource utilization for development and growth of the country.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4 -2015-16) showed that:

  • 79 per cent women had institutional delivery,
  • 47.8 per cent women were using modern family planning methods,
  • Unmet need of about 13 per cent existed- women wanted to stop or delay pregnancy and still were not practicing family planning methods, and
  • Only about 62 per cent children were found to be fully immunized

India’s ‘Family Planning Program’ has done well in achieving its goals of population stabilization; that is in achieving the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 or two-child family norm except in six states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh of 22 large states in India where TFR is of more than 2.1.

 

Even in these six states the people are aware of and have realized benefits of small and planned family and are ‘willing’ to have small and planned families, but still they have not achieved their desired family size because of some reservations they may have with the FP programme services (Unmet Need). It clearly demonstrates social & behaviour change communication (SBCC) as a ‘missing-link’ and the need for strengthening supply aspects in ensuring quality, accessibility and affordability of contraceptives to young people, women and men. Therefore, there are clearly marked areas for strengthening India’s strategic efforts under the National Population Programme. In the given situation, it is unnecessary to promote such a bill that is bound to create controversy in India and even globally, because of non-acceptance of the term “Population Control” through legislation. 

Rather, it should be “Voluntary” acceptance of small and planned family; the thrust is that people should be motivated to plan and practice contraceptives; coercion or incentives/disincentives in any form should be avoided. Instead, the Family Planning (FP) / Population Stabilization programme should be supported and strengthened through a well thought of “Strategy” for   social and behavioural change communication.

Covid-19 adversely affected Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)

On March 11, 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The COVID-19 has had widespread impact on utilization of routine health care services. The fear of COVID-19, lockdown with restricted movements, urgency to check spread of Corona virus, and provide health care & cure to Covid-19 infected persons shifted the attention of the medical professional s and associated service providers to focus on COVID-19 pandemic related issues.

As a consequence, the sexual and reproductive health of the people including adolescent and youth was adversely affected. World Health Organization (WHO), in anticipation of the detrimental impact/disruption of the pandemic had published an operational guidance for the health services during Covid-19 on June 1, 2020 in the form of “Maintaining Essential Health Services Operational Guidance for Covid 19- Context” making some practical suggestions and recommendations that countries can take at national, regional and local levels to re-organize and safely maintain access to high quality essential health services.

 

In India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also been writing and sending necessary guidelines, on regular basis to all the states and Union Territories for ensuring that essential SRH services (for that matter, all essential health services, covering preventive health care, affordable health care, improvement in supply chain and mission mode of implementation) are continuously given. Despite national and international organizations warnings and recommendations, almost all countries, particularly, the low- and middle-income countries had seen a big disruption in the normal SRH services. There is a need for Population Communication Strategy to improve SRHR /FP outcomes. A well thought of research evidence-based population communication strategy is required so as to cost-effectively achieve goals / objectives of the Health & Family Welfare programme of the country.

Top-down vertical Communication Strategy is generally more effective in dictatorial regime. A word / message from the ruler / leader is effectively carried down the ladder. But in a parliamentary democracy with multi religious, multi linguistic, multicultural society top-down approach does not work that well. The decentralized and participatory communication would be more effective.

Research evidence-based communication strategy would be more effective and would involve the following:

  • Situation analysis based upon secondary sources and formative research
  • Clearly define the purpose of communication and specific objectives of the communication inputs
  • Segmentation of audience for targeted communication intervention
  • Monitoring the intervention and undertake the necessary course correction measure
  • Mid-term evaluation; lessons learnt and readjustment of the program and communication interventions
  • End line evaluation; lessons learnt and the way forward for future similar projects.
  • Preparing project closer report and sharing with others and dissemination.

To effectively implement the population communication strategy orientation & skill development of a whole range of service providers would have to be undertaken.

  • Share:

About Us

We must explain to you how all seds this mistakens idea off denouncing pleasures and praising pain was born and I will give you a completed accounts..

Contact Us

Contact Info

  • 70, Gyan Khand- 4, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Uttar Pradesh.
  • +91-9810533682
  • info@mediamap.co.in
  • Week Days: 09.00 to 18.00 Sunday: Closed