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Business Standard
09-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan marks 9 years, MRR declines by 50 points
India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined by 50 points in the nine years of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA). During that time, 6.19 crore women have been examined under the scheme. According to a press note, the government's combined efforts to provide antenatal care and ensure proper nutrition for pregnant women have led to a significant improvement in India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 80 per lakh live births in 2021-23, a reduction of 50 points. According to the note, 6813 volunteers have registered to assist pregnant women under the PMSMA. Maharashtra has topped the list of the most volunteers registered under the scheme till May 2025 with 1131 volunteers, followed by 1076 in Uttar Pradesh and 1015 in Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh has the most pregnant women in the second or third trimester receiving antenatal care under the scheme, with 189534 women who have received the facilities. Launched in June 2016, the PMSMA is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It was designed to provide assured, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care (ANC) services free of cost to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month, particularly during the second and third trimesters. The core aim is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by facilitating early detection and prompt management of high-risk pregnancies. The press note says that the programme follows a systematic approach to engagement with the private sector, which includes motivating private practitioners to volunteer for the campaign, helping develop strategies for spreading awareness, and participating in the Abhiyan at government health facilities. The PMSMA aligns with the broader goals of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under the National Health Mission (NHM). The main objectives of the scheme include ensuring that every pregnant woman receives at least one check-up by a physician/specialist during the second or third trimester, improve the quality of care during antenatal visits, identifying and managing high-risk pregnancies (HRP) at an early stage, appropriate birth planning and complication readiness for each pregnant woman, ensuring appropriate management of women with malnutrition and a special focus on adolescent and early pregnancies. The E-PMSMA strategy was rolled out in January 2022 to ensure the tracing and tracking of High-Risk Pregnant (HRP) women until a safe delivery is achieved by provisioning financial incentivisation for the identified HRP women and accompanying Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) for an extra three visits over and above the PMSMA visit, the press note said. Services offered under the scheme include routine antenatal care checkups, diagnostic services, identification and management of high-risk pregnant women, and counselling regarding nutrition, family planning, birth preparedness, and newborn and postnatal care. PMSMA complements other government programs, including the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which was launched to incentivise institutional deliveries through conditional cash transfers. This scheme has benefited over 11.07 crore women as of March 2025, the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), launched to promote free institutional delivery and neonatal care. More than 16.60 crore beneficiaries have been served since 2014-15, LaQshya Initiative for improving quality of care in labour rooms, the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), launched to strengthen respectful and quality care for pregnant women. 90,015 SUMAN health facilities have been notified across the country by March 2025, the POSHAN Abhiyaan, started to target the most vulnerable--children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers--by revamping the nutrition services and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched to promote institutional delivery and ensuring maternal health, the scheme provides direct cash benefits of Rs5,000 to pregnant and lactating women.
India Gazette
09-06-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan marks 9 years, Maternal Mortality Ratio declines by 50 points
New Delhi [India], June 9 (ANI): India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined by 50 points in the nine years of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA). During that time, 6.19 crore women have been examined under the scheme. According to a press note, the government's combined efforts to provide antenatal care and ensure proper nutrition for pregnant women have led to a significant improvement in India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 80 per lakh live births in 2021-23, a reduction of 50 points. According to the note, 6813 volunteers have registered to assist pregnant women under the PMSMA. Maharashtra has topped the list of the most volunteers registered under the scheme till May 2025 with 1131 volunteers, followed by 1076 in Uttar Pradesh and 1015 in Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh has the most pregnant women in the second or third trimester receiving antenatal care under the scheme, with 189534 women who have received the facilities. Launched in June 2016, the PMSMA is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It was designed to provide assured, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care (ANC) services free of cost to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month, particularly during the second and third trimesters. The core aim is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by facilitating early detection and prompt management of high-risk pregnancies. The press note says that the programme follows a systematic approach to engagement with the private sector, which includes motivating private practitioners to volunteer for the campaign, helping develop strategies for spreading awareness, and participating in the Abhiyan at government health facilities. The PMSMA aligns with the broader goals of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under the National Health Mission (NHM). The main objectives of the scheme include ensuring that every pregnant woman receives at least one check-up by a physician/specialist during the second or third trimester, improve the quality of care during antenatal visits, identifying and managing high-risk pregnancies (HRP) at an early stage, appropriate birth planning and complication readiness for each pregnant woman, ensuring appropriate management of women with malnutrition and a special focus on adolescent and early pregnancies. The E-PMSMA strategy was rolled out in January 2022 to ensure the tracing and tracking of High-Risk Pregnant (HRP) women until a safe delivery is achieved by provisioning financial incentivization for the identified HRP women and accompanying Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) for an extra three visits over and above the PMSMA visit, the press note said. Services offered under the scheme include routine antenatal care checkups, diagnostic services, identification and management of high-risk pregnant women, and counselling regarding nutrition, family planning, birth preparedness, and newborn and postnatal care. PMSMA complements other government programs, including the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which was launched to incentivise institutional deliveries through conditional cash transfers. This scheme has benefited over 11.07 crore women as of March 2025, the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), launched to promote free institutional delivery and neonatal care. More than 16.60 crore beneficiaries have been served since 2014-15, LaQshya Initiative for improving quality of care in labour rooms, the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), launched to strengthen respectful and quality care for pregnant women. 90,015 SUMAN health facilities have been notified across the country by March 2025, the POSHAN Abhiyaan, started to target the most vulnerable--children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers--by revamping the nutrition services and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched to promote institutional delivery and ensuring maternal health, the scheme provides direct cash benefits of Rs5,000 to pregnant and lactating women. (ANI)
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
When should you take a pregnancy test? Here's what experts recommend.
When should you take a pregnancy test? Here's what experts recommend. Show Caption Hide Caption Preeclampsia: Symptoms, causes and treatments Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy. Self Improved Taking a pregnancy test too early can produce a false negative result. And the prospect of a major life change like pregnancy is a time when you want to make sure you're getting the most accurate information. So how do you know when it's too early to take a pregnancy test, and at what point can you get accurate results? Dr. Karen Tang, author of "It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)," explains what you need to know about the best times to take a pregnancy test – and signs to look out for that signify you could be pregnant in the first place. Noted: Can you actually get pregnant during your period? What an OB/GYN needs you to know. How early can you take a pregnancy test? The "most sensitive" drugstore tests can detect pregnancy as early as three or four weeks after your missing period date, Tang says. In those first few weeks, pregnancy hormones are on the rise every day. If you take a test early on that turns up negative but you still believe you may be pregnant, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends testing again in a week. Getting a blood test done by a medical professional also may be helpful, as blood tests are able to detect pregnancy before urine tests and ultrasounds. "You should take a test as soon as you are worried you might be pregnant – but most over-the-counter tests may not turn positive until around the time that you'd be due for or missing your period," she adds. "Pregnancy hormone (HCG) is most concentrated in the first morning urine, so that may have the best chance of showing a positive, but obviously take the test whenever in the day you're able to." How does IVF work? Plus what the process is like and how much it costs. And FYI: Pregnancy is actually calculated from the first day of your last period, not the actual day of conception, Tang says.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
How soon do pregnancy symptoms start? Here's what experts say.
How soon do pregnancy symptoms start? Here's what experts say. Show Caption Hide Caption Preeclampsia: Symptoms, causes and treatments Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy. Self Improved If you think there's a chance you might be pregnant, you want to know as soon as possible. But how soon can symptoms be attributed to a new pregnancy, rather than other ailments or conditions? It's helpful first to know how to actually measure pregnancy duration: It's calculated from the first day of your last missed period, not the actual day of conception, says Dr. Karen Tang, author of "It's Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told)." And symptoms could begin to arise sooner than you might think. Here's what gynecological experts want you to know about early pregnancy symptoms and detection. How does IVF work? Plus what the process is like and how much it costs. When does morning sickness start? Pregnancy (or "morning sickness") symptoms can begin to show within four to eight weeks, experts say. Symptoms including nausea, fatigue, moodiness, breast tenderness, light bleeding and mild pelvic cramping. Food cravings or aversions are common. But not everyone experiences those symptoms in that timeframe – and not everyone who experiences those symptoms is pregnant. It's rare, but in some cases, false negative tests occur. "Some people never notice symptoms, which is why pregnancies are detected at all different gestational ages, even sometimes in the third trimester," Tang says. "Some of the symptoms of pregnancy can be the same as what people experience in PMS, because they're also caused by a hormone called progesterone that rises in both the luteal phase before your period, and as the placenta develops. You could also think you have a virus because of feeling nauseated, tired and achy." Noted: Can you actually get pregnant during your period? What an OB/GYN needs you to know. How early can you detect pregnancy? The "most sensitive" drugstore tests can detect pregnancy as early as three or four weeks after your missing period date, Tang says. In those first few weeks, pregnancy hormones are on the rise every day. If you take a test early on that turns up negative but you still believe you may be pregnant, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends testing again in a week. Getting a blood test done by a medical professional also may be helpful, as blood tests are able to detect pregnancy before urine tests and ultrasounds. "You should take a test as soon as you are worried you might be pregnant, but most over-the-counter tests may not turn positive until around the time that you'd be due for or missing your period," she adds. "Pregnancy hormone (HCG) is most concentrated in the first morning urine, so that may have the best chance of showing a positive, but obviously take the test whenever in the day you're able to."
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Rising obesity among Indian women calls for science-based, community and lifecycle-oriented care, study finds
A study published in the Indian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research, supported by the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction, highlighted an urgent public health concern posed by the rising prevalence of obesity among Indian women in their reproductive year. According to the findings, nearly 50% of Indian women aged 35–49 are living with obesity, with even younger women aged 18–30 increasingly at risk. The health implications of this trend extend from menarche to menopause --spanning complications in fertility, pregnancy, and long-term metabolic health. Early intervention and integrating obesity care across health system Experts in reproductive health and endocrinology say the findings should serve as a wake-up call to rethink India's public health strategies and embed obesity care into all layers of the healthcare system. Addressing obesity in the reproductive years is not just about improving fertility -- it's about preventing lifelong complications,' said Nanditha Palshetkar, medical director at Bloom IVF Lilavati Hospital and former president of The Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI). Dr. Palshetkar emphasised the importance of early recognition and education. 'If we manage obesity early, ideally before conception, we can significantly improve outcomes for both mother and child,' she said. 'We must start recognising obesity as a disease,'Dr. Palshetkar said, 'It's often the underlying cause of comorbidities like high cholesterol and fatty liver. Unfortunately, there's a widespread perception that simply 'eating well' at home ensures good health -- which can be misleading. There's a serious lack of awareness. Piya Ballani Thakkar, consultant endocrinologist with a specialisation in diabetes and metabolic disorders, stressed the urgent need to integrate obesity screening and counselling into existing national programmes like --Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health(RMNCH+A) , which focus on women of reproductive age, children, and adolescents. She called for the expansion of dietitian-led services at the primary care level and use of vernacular media in breaking down the science and disease burden. 'In rural areas, ASHA workers can play a vital role. In areas where ASHAs are absent, local NGOs can help. These systems already exist, we just need to incorporate BMI checks, counselling, and awareness about obesity into ongoing programmes like POSHAN -- nutrition mission, anaemia campaigns, and even HIV or TB outreach,' she added. Need for early screening and lifecycle approach The study reports that 33.5% of urban women and 19.7% of rural women are affected by obesity -- largely driven by lifestyle shifts, sedentary jobs, and high-carb diets. The problem is compounded by poor dietary patterns and reduced physical activity, fueling a rise in conditions like gestational diabetes, PCOS, and even increased miscarriage risk in women with a BMI over 30 kg/m². Dr. Ballani emphasised the need for a lifecycle approach to obesity management in women. 'We have to tackle obesity differently across stages. For women trying to conceive, lifestyle modifications are key, and any anti-obesity medications must be stopped prior to pregnancy. During pregnancy, weight gain needs to be closely monitored based on BMI. Postpartum, structured programmes for weight loss, including breastfeeding encouragement and, if necessary, later reintroduction of medications, are essential,'she said She also noted the need for longitudinal birth cohort studies linking maternal BMI to child health outcomes, and suggested that NFHS data should include pre-pregnancy BMI, waist circumference, and granular lifestyle indicators to better inform policy. She also underlined the unique challenges of peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women, pointing to the need to monitor muscle mass, bone health, and screen for metabolic disorders before initiating weight loss interventions. Stepwise treatment model proposed by study The study proposes a stepwise treatment algorithm designed specifically for Indian women, enabling gynaecologists to assess and treat obesity with culturally relevant approaches. The doctors agree that small, sustainable lifestyle changes-- a high-fiber, low-glycemic diet, moderate daily exercise, and community support-- remain the foundation of treatment. In select cases, medication and bariatric surgery may be necessary. Dr. Palshetkar also noted culturally sensitive physical activity programmes like Garba, Bhangra, and Lezim in schools and community groups, especially in villages. 'Children often dislike traditional physical education. But if you bring in dance forms they enjoy, they're more likely to stay active. These interventions need to be fun, inclusive, and culturally rooted,'she said. On clinical guidelines, Dr. Ballani recommended that stepwise obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) algorithms and BMI-specific weight gain targets be translated into simple, actionable checklists for frontline providers. She emphasised that while lifestyle interventions should be the foundation, pharmacological and surgical treatments must be individualised, reserved for severe cases, and coordinated with endocrinology and OBGYN teams. Call for improved obesity care The broader goal, Dr. Palshetkar stressed, is to recognise obesity as a disease, a shift that could push governments to act. 'Just like the World Health Organisation's (WHO) classification of infertility helped raise awareness and mobilise resources, declaring obesity as a disease will help integrate it into public policy and healthcare. Pre-conception counselling must include guidance on achieving a healthy BMI. Telling a woman to take folic acid is good, but if her BMI is over 30, we're missing a key risk factor,' she said. However, recognising obesity purely through a clinical lens isn't enough. Experts stress that stigma, weight bias, and sizeism remain major barriers to understanding and treating obesity effectively. These social attitudes often prevent individuals from seeking help and can even shape how healthcare providers respond to patients, leading to delayed or inadequate care. As India continues to battle non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, experts say that a more compassionate, science-based understanding of women's health -- free from judgment-- could serve as a powerful preventive approach. 'We have observed that children born to mothers living with obesity have a higher risk of developing obesity themselves,' said Dr. Palshetkar. 'To break this cycle, interventions must begin even before conception.
