Bangalore: With adolescent pregnancy the focus of this year's UN World Population Day, India aims to reach out to its young population and push spacing as a measure for family planning to achieve the total fertility rate of 2.1 in all states.

As part of its family planning programme, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the first time has started providing post partum intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD) to women who deliver children in government set-ups.

Post partum IUCD is a measure of spacing children and is administered to women within 48 hours of delivery.

Of the total 2.6 crore deliveries across the country, 1.25 crore take place in government set-ups.

As per the National Family Health Survey 3, 47 percent girls in India get married before the age of 18 years and early marriage leads of early child bearing.

With only 7 percent of 15-19 year-old using contraceptive as per the NFHS 3, the unmet need for family planning is higher among 15-19 year-olds at 27 percent compared to 13 percent unmet need across all age groups.

"We have already started providing IUCDs where the rush of deliveries is more. There are 16000 such delivery points in public sector where substantial number of deliveries take place that will be covered under the programme. Currently such facilities are being provided at government medical colleges and subsequently the district hospitals and other sub-centres will be targeted," said NRHM mission director and additional secretary in the Health Ministry Anuradha Gupta.

She said to reduce the total fertility rate, the emphasis is on spacing and young mothers are being encouraged to do so.

The Health Ministry, under its flagship National Health Scheme, is taking the help of counsellors who will encourage young women to use contraceptives and space their children.

So far, a total of 1,333 counsellors on contractual basis have been employed at such high-case delivery points and more will be appointed soon.

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