Odisha Govt Plans Saas-Bahu Sammelans To Promote Family Planning

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will conduct ‘Saas-Bahu Sammelans’ by roping in mothers-in-law along with daughters-in-law to achieve its family planning goals.

The summit, which is being planned twice a year, is likely to be held later this month or early next month in the first phase and ASHAs have been entrusted with the task of arranging the meetings, where family planning lessons will be imparted, the Health Department tweeted on Monday.

Newly married women, high-risk pregnant women and ideal couples, who have maintained proper gaps between children besides those who adopt family planning methods, will attend. A kit containing condoms and contraceptive pills as a ‘wedding gift’ will also be presented to newly-married couples, sources said.

This is on the lines of the Saas-Bahu Sammelans, which the Centre had organised in 146 districts with total fertility rate (TFR) of 3 or more in 2017 as a part of a new family planning initiative called Mission Parivar Vikas to “bridge the gap” in mindset between the two generations and help in population stabilisation.

Though TFR in Odisha is below the national average of 2, there has been no significant improvement in the use of modern contraceptive methods, leading to high cases of unwanted pregnancy and abortions.

According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the total fertility rate ((children per woman)) dropped to 1.8 (2020-21), below the national average of 2, from 2.1 (2015-16). Though this trend indicated an increased awareness among people about family planning methods and a preference to limit offspring to one or two, reports suggested that there has been no significant improvement in the use of modern contraceptive methods, leading to high cases of unwanted pregnancy and abortions.

Notably, the use of oral pills as a method of contraception in Odisha was down to 10.8 per cent from 12 per cent. Though condom use in the state went up to 5.5 per cent from 3.4 per cent, it was still way behind the national average of 9.5 per cent. In addition, data indicate that government-supplied condom use dropped by around 35 per cent between 2011 and 2020 in the state.

While female sterilisation saw a marginal fall from 28.2 per cent to 28 per cent, there was a significant rise in IUD use from 1.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 2.6 per cent in 2020-21.

Director of Family Planning Dr Bijay Panigrahy said that the ‘saas-bahu sammelans’ will help improve communication between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law while breaking the myths and barriers around family planning. “Such congregations will bring saas and bahu on a common platform and discuss the health of women members, family planning issues, spacing and limiting methods. They will be taught various measures of family planning through interactive sessions, folk games and followed up by quiz competitions,” he was quoted as saying by TNIE.