Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday said the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ can only be achieved when the health of India’s families is well maintained which can be achieved by smaller families.

Addressing a virtual event titled “Healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies for the wellbeing of mother and child”, the Minister highlighted that 1/5th of global population is India’s population and stressed on the need to celebrate World Population Day as a reaffirming and re-commitment to working towards population stabilisation.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the occasion of World Population Day.

The Minister emphasised that Centre and States need to collectively work to ensure that women can exercise their right to make family planning choices and are not burdened by unwanted pregnancy, and to ensure that unmet needs of contraceptives are met especially in the high burden states, districts and blocks.

“The objective of the Family Planning programme needs to be birth by choice and by informed choice”, he stated.

Pointing out the government’s focus is on “securing a brighter, healthier future for all, including youth, adolescents, women, and the elderly, Nadda said, “Collaboration is key as we address upcoming responsibilities and recognise family planning and reproductive health as fundamental.”

“Promoting healthy timing and spacing between births, achieving optimal family sizes, and empowering voluntary adoption of contraceptive choices are crucial for nurturing healthier and happier families, thereby contributing to our nation’s brighter future,” he said.

Talking on “Mission Parivar Vikas” (MPV), Nadda emphasised the remarkable impact of the scheme and underlined the significant increase in access to contraceptives in these states and successful reductions in maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates.

“Making districts as the primary focal point of this scheme helped in bringing the TFR down in the entire state. MPV has not only contributed to lowering states’ TFR but also helped in the national TFR,” he said.