Demographic evaluation of progress and target of national family planning programme of India
Chaudhuri, S.K.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India 32(2): 173-178
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0971-9202 PMID: 12339272 Document Number: 336335
The number of couples effectively protected is a good index to measure the effect of India's family planning program. The methodology, which is complicated, takes into account the following factors: cumulative effect of sterilization and IUD and current number of conventional contraceptives and oral contraceptive (OC) users; annual attrition rate for sterilization and IUD due to aging, mortality, and removal/expulsion of IUD; latest age distribution of acceptors; latest joint survival ratios of husbands and wives in different age groups; and use-effectiveness of different methods. The number of couples effectively protected increased gradually from 10.6 in 1970-71 to 23.9 in 1976-77. An upward trend appeared evident in 1980-81. The most effective means of effective couple protection was provided by sterilization (20.1%) out of a total 22.5%. The trend for the last 4 years favors tubal ligations, 73.7% of total sterilizations in India in 1979-80. Of the conventional contraceptives, condoms were preferred to OCs in the government family planning centers. The popularity of the IUD was low. Number of births averted is another good index of measurement of the effect of the family planning program. This complicated index considers the following facts: latest age distribution of acceptors; IUD retention rates; and joint survivance ratios of husbands and wives in different age groups. The number of births averted was actually less in 1978-79 and 1979-80 in contrast to 1976-77. It is estimated that over 4 million illegal abortions take place annually in India. The number of medical terminations was as follows: 1975-76, 214,197; 1976-77, 278,870; 1977-78, 241,724; 1978-79, 305,804; and 1979-80, 306,878. It is most difficult at any 1 time to estimate the effect of a motivational campaign. A significant effect of such a campaign is reflected in the lowering of average age and average number of living children of sterilization acceptors. Gross reproduction rate has been lowered in the rural areas from 2.8 in 1972 to 2.24 in 1978; the figures in the urban community were 2.1 in 1972 and 1.59 in 1978. The government's longterm target is to achieve zero population growth by the year 2000.