Family Welfare Programmes

Introduction

India’s burgeoning population and its growth have been a much long problem for the country. India launched a family welfare programme to reduce the growing population in 1951 which was the first such programme initiated by any country. In 1997, the National Family welfare programme was changed to Reproductive and Child Health.

Family welfare programmes are meant to offer better healthcare to women and children with an aim of stabilizing the growth of the population. There are many such programmes offered by the government in India. This tutorial discusses women’s health, children’s well-being, and other such issues. It offers information about government initiatives and the reasons why such initiatives should be supported by one and all.

Reproductive Health

Reproductive health is a term that is used to indicate overall women's health, from childhood, through adolescence, menopause, and beyond it. It combines maternal, child, and adolescent health into primary health through which the population problem of India is aimed to be solved.

Reproductive health, therefore, refers to having a responsible, safe, and satisfactory sex life and reproduction with the right of having an infant when wanted. Moreover, it also refers to men and women having access to a safe, sound, and effective sex life and to information about how to go through various stages of sex life from being pregnant to childbirth. This necessarily puts a focus on having a healthy infant when the couples desire to have one.

Women’s health is an important factor because they are the ones who are mainly responsible for carrying on the process of giving birth and running the generations in the process. A healthy woman is able to give birth to a healthy infant, and so one must take care of women’s health so that the health factor is passed on to the generations to come.

To make sure that women are taken care of, they must be empowered in society. Women must have the right to decide when, how, and why to have children and there should be no interference in their decisions by a third party. By offering the rights of women to them, one can ensure that they have a good sex life and reproduce according to their will. This will go a long way in managing the population because information about keeping the population low will help women to reduce their fertilization rates.

Family Welfare Programmes and their Importance

The four main reasons for the requirement of Family Welfare Programmes are −

• Family planning and counseling services to women for healthy and safe reproduction.

• Educating women about safe pre and post-delivery methods and treatment of women before pregnancy.

• Immunization of babies from preventable diseases and safeguarding infants.

• Treatment of Sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections.

Reproductive Tract Infections

A lot of women suffer from reproductive tract infections without seeking treatment in silence. RTI can lead to reproductive-tract pain and pregnancy-related complications. Therefore, seeking medical treatment for such ailments is necessary.

In India, 40% of women have issues that can lead to more serious reproductive tract infection problems. However, many of these cases go untreated which is a major issue with the health of pregnant women in the country.

Two-thirds of women who report reproductive health issues do not seek medical advice. Less than one-third of women who seek medical solutions go to government healthcare clinics. Therefore, there is still much need to be done in terms of the reproductive health of women in India.

Looking at the magnitude and effects of deteriorating health issues, every state in India has comprehensive mother and baby care programmes in place. Reduction of infant and Maternal mortality through integrated Family Welfare services, Immunization, and prophylaxis against Anemia and Vitamin A deficiency of children and mothers, I.E.C activities (Information, Education, and Communication activities) are in place in various states with a comprehensive health strategy.

• The basic underlying reason for reproductive healthcare in India is to stabilize the population levels. Various government-aided programmes are offered in healthcare units in every state to achieve the goal of stabilizing population growth. Some of these programmes are funded by the central government while others are taken care of by state governments. There are certain policies and guidelines mandated by governments for this reason.

• The reproductive healthcare programme now encompasses a larger vision to safeguard mothers and babies by the inclusion of healthcare professionals, which includes service, family planning, immunizations, etc. to ensure that the mother and babies remain in safe conditions and the population stabilization aim is achieved holistically.

• To ensure quality health services and population control, government-funded programmes act in unison to offer comprehensive reproductive health packages. The intention is to boost the Reproductive and Child Health Programme which wants to provide mothers with the best treatments and policies for safeguarding them from diseases so that healthy infants are born but in limited numbers. To boost the delivery of these programmes, each state government has implemented reforms to offer better autonomy to healthcare professionals.

• It is important to let women know about the various legal procedures to empower them in order to maximize the effects of and increase the result of healthcare programmes aimed at women and babies. If women are suppressed in society, they cannot be brought under the umbrella of comprehensive care formulated by the governments to protect and value them. This would result in the failure of the programmes meant to stabilize population growth.

• The Indian government is offering many funded and free healthcare opportunities for women in order to meet the government's goals of stabilizing the population. Women must take advantage of these programmes that offer them better choices in terms of pregnancy and childbirth and also work well for the country in managing the growth of the population.

As India continues to become the country with the largest population, let us pledge to support the government in stabilizing the growth of the population in the country. It is impossible to manage the burgeoning population without the support of the general public because the government cannot succeed in its attempts if the public does not support the government in its initiatives.

Conclusion

Family welfare programmes are for the benefit of everyone. As India’s population grows beyond imagination, these programmes are the ones that can help both government and the public to get benefits by stabilizing the population growth and offering better healthcare fasciitis to mothers and children. Therefore, we must support the government in its approach to maintaining the population within limits by offering important education to mothers about various methods of maintaining reproduction.

FAQs

Qns 1. When did India initiate policies regarding family welfare?

Ans. India launched a family welfare programme to reduce the growing population in 1951 which was the first such programme initiated by any country. In 1997, the National Family welfare programme was changed to Reproductive and child health while in the ninth five-year plan a total change was recommended.

Qns 2. What is the percentage of women having Reproductive tract issues in India? Why is it important to notice?

Ans. In India, 40% of women have issues that can lead to more serious reproductive tract infection problems. However, many of these cases go untreated which is a major issue with the health of pregnant women in the country.

Qns 3. What is the reason for providing reproductive health care by the government of India?

Ans. The basic underlying reason for reproductive healthcare in India is to stabilize the population levels. Various government-aided programmes are offered in healthcare units in every state to achieve the goal of stabilizing population growth.