New Delhi, July 3

Chandigarh topped the list of states and Union Territories in having better male participation in family planning with 28.6 per cent of its men opting for methods such as sterilisation and condom usage, Minister of State for Heath Ashwini Choubey informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The minister cited the National Family Health Survey-4 while quoting the figures.

Delhi, Punjab and Uttarakhand followed Chandigarh at 20.2, 19.5 and 16.8 per cents, respectively.

The number of men having undergone sterilisation and using condoms were lowest in Andhra Pradesh (0.8 pc), Tamil Nadu (0.9 pc) and Bihar (1.1 pc).

The national average for use of male family planning methods (male sterilisation and condom) stood at 5.9 per cent, the minister said in his reply.

Responding to a question, the minister elaborated on the initiatives undertaken by the government to increase male participation in family planning which includes conducting a ‘vasectomy fortnight’ in November to raise awareness on male participation and promotion of male sterilisation, setting up of condom boxes in health facilities to enable clients to access them in privacy.

He also mentioned about training service providers in No Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) to enhance the pool of service providers and delivery of contraceptives including condoms by ASHA workers under ‘Home Delivery of Contraceptive Scheme’.

He further informed that a 360 degree media campaign is being run by the government underlining the role of men in family planning.

In Mission Parivar Vikas districts, the government is conducting four such campaigns in a year. These campaigns involve extensive mobilization activities, including promotion of male participation and assured vasectomy services, Choubey said. — PTI