The Higher Order Births (HOB) — mothers who have more than two children — have fallen by 3.1% in the State over the last eight years, Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar said on Tuesday.
Presenting awards to 241 doctors and medical institutions who have rendered excellent service in the last three years by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, he noted their contribution has helped the State achieve various developments in health sector. “In 2010, the HOB in the State was 10.6% and it has now been reduced to 7.5%. Be it in organ transplant or family welfare, the health sector has become a trendsetter for other States to replicate,” he said.
There are about 113 blocks that have to bring down the HOB and if they manage to reduce it to 7.5% or even lesser, then special awards will be given to them, he added.
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In the last seven years, 21.6 lakh women underwent sterilisation.
Fertility rate in the country stands at 2.1% but Tamil Nadu has brought it down to 1.6%. “Maternal Mortality Rate should be brought down too and the Family Welfare Department has an important role to play in this,” he said.
Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said the Family Welfare Department took a great deal of effort in creating awareness of contraception.
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