State Level Workshop on Family planning organized
Gangtok:
State Level Workshop on Family planning with special reference to declining
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Child Sex Ratio was organized on 27th
May 2016 at European Commission Hall under the chairmanship of Dr. K.Bhandari,
DG-cum-Secretary Health. Dr. S.K.Sikdar, Deputy Commissioner, Family Planning,
MoHFW, Government of India was the resource person. Principal Director Health,
Mission Director/NHM, Directors and other Programme Officers from State and
District were also present in the workshop.
The
DG-cum-Secretary highlighted on the issue of declining TFR and skewed Child Sex
Ratio, for which line listing of all couples to be taken by the concerned
division so as to have a correct data for the state. Further he also mentioned
that tuberculosis, substance abuse and suicide are on the rise and the
department is trying to tackle these problems at every level.
Dr.
S.K.Sikdar, resource person from MoHFW, GoI, presented elaborately on family
planning with reference to declining Total Fertility Rate. He highlighted on
the issues of TFR which stands low for Sikkim but that should not be a cause of
worry for now as the birth rate is still on the higher side (17.1-SRS 2013). He
also mentioned that one of the contributing factors for the declining TFR is education
especially of women. Also, the percentage of unmarried women (15-49 yrs) is
said to be highest for the state of Sikkim which may be another major
contributor for declining TFR. He suggested that the state could take up steps
like promote marriages among youth by incentivising them, giving extended
maternity and paternity leave up to 6-9 months for mothers, child care leave up
to 18 months for all parents etc.
JD/RCH
also gave an overview of the Family Planning Programme Implementation status
report and Child Sex Ratio update of the state.
Category: Health Related News
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