Free injectable contraceptives 'Antara' programme launched

With an aim to strengthen the family planning programme in the state, Odisha Government today launched free Injectable Contraceptive programme, which is considered effective and convenient.
Christened as Antara programme, the drive was launched by the state's Health and Family Welfare department here.
"This contraceptive is highly effective, very convenient, tested and tried as a very safe method of family planning. It is in use in more than 130 countries around the world," Health and Family Welfare Secretary P K Meherda said at the launch of the Antara Programme.
The programme will also help women who are not able to convince their partners to use contraceptives, he said.

Among others present at the function were Deputy Commissioner - FP Division, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr S K Sikdar, Commissioner-cum-Mission Director, NHM, Odisha, Shalini Pandit and Director of Family Welfare, Odisha, Dr Binod Kumar Mishra.
Mishra said quality of services is important and preparatory activities like orientation of district teams and training of counsellors to roll out injectable contraceptive have been completed. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is providing technical support in rolling out the injectables in the state, he said.

The injectable contraceptive is supposed to be used within a week from the day a woman's menstrual cycle starts. Currently, injections are available for free at public health facilities. It may help reduce the maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate in the state. It has to be taken once in every 3 months, officials said.

Providing more contraceptives choices is the fulcrum of the family planning programme. Evidence of contraceptive method mix has shown that with addition of a single new method there is a linear increase of MCPR (Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate) by 3.4 per cent, they said.
In view of that, the Central Government has added three new contraceptives - Injectable DMPA (Antara Programme), Progestrone Only Pill (POP), Centchroman (Chhaya). The main advantages with the newer contraceptives are, they can be safely used in post-partum or lactation period and are highly effective with few side effects, they said.
Promoting informed choices and voluntary decision making among eligible clients has been the mainstay of family planning programme as per the mandate of Vision FP2020. Odisha government is undertaking several measures to adhere to this principle, said officials.