Use of modern contraceptive methods: Govt eyes 48 mn new users

The government will target 48 million new users to encourage use of modern methods of contraception by 2020, a senior official today said.
"Currently we have 103 million people who use modern methods of contraception. We intend to target 48 million new users by 2020," said Rakesh Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
He was speaking at conference on 'Involving Adolescent and Youth for Population Stabilisation' held on the account of World Population Day here.
He said that at a London summit on family planning, held in 2012, it was decided to target 120 new users, mostly in developing countries, of which India was given a target of 48 million users.

"We plan to mostly focus on states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as the population growth is high," he said.
The Ministry has been employing several methods to attract users to practise new methods of contraception, apart from vasectomy and tubectomy, he said.
"We have various schemes one of which is home delivering condoms, contraceptive pills and emergency pills. The scheme was launched in 2010 and was limited to some states, but in 2013, it was rolled out on the country level," said.
Apart from it, the ministry has also been giving monetary benefits to couples who do not have kid in the first two years of marriage. The benefit would be extended if the couple maintains a gap of three years between the first and second child.