Beating the odds, Rajasthan Government made an unusual move on controlling the state’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR). The details claim that the government is all set to distribute a pack of condoms, contraceptives and vanity kits to the newly married couples.

The exceeding fertility rate is one of the major menaces in the various Northern states of India. ‘Total Fertility Rate’ is the average number of children expected to be born per woman during her entire span of reproductive period.

Government denoted earlier that the healthy TFR value must not exceed 2.1, the ratio is far more than the standard values in Rajasthan, 3 or more than that is estimated.

Dr VK Mathur, Rajasthan’s reproductive and child health director said: “the family planning kit would be distributed in these districts under the upcoming Mission Parivar Vikas to reduce TFR.”

Meanwhile, the kit will contain two packs of three condoms each, two strips of 28 oral contraceptive pills each, three units of one emergency contraceptive pill each and two pregnancy testing kits. The kit will also have a vanity pouch containing a pair of towel set, comb, nail cutter, a pack of bindis, two handkerchiefs and a small mirror. The kit will come in a jute bag.

Further,  IEC – Information, Education and Communication – material on delaying the birth of first child and spacing other children, and on how to use pregnancy testing kit and whom to approach when pregnancy is confirmed is included in the kit.

The authorities claimed that the kits will be provided to all the newlyweds by social health activists (ASHAs). The frontline health worker will be incentivised for this.

“ASHAs will maintain records of kits received and distributed and submit it to the auxiliary nursing midwife (ANM) at the nearest health sub-centre,” officials said.

T has AS per the statistics, nearly 145 high focus districts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam are identified by the union ministry of health and family welfare under this programme.

Details state that the programme will be implemented exclusively in the 14 selected districts in Rajasthan that have higher TFR rates such as Barmer and Dholpur (TFR 4 or more), Banswara, Karauli, Jalore, Sawai Madhopur, Udaipur and Jalore (3.5 to 3.9) and Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Jaisalmer, Pali, Sirohi, Baran and Bharatpur ( 3 to 3.5).