9-Dec-2022: Progress under “Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan” (PMSMA)
Government of India launched “Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan” (PMSMA) with an aim to provide fixed-day, free of cost, assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care on the 9th day of every month universally to all pregnant women in their 2nd / 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. Since inception, more than 3.6 crore pregnant women have received comprehensive ANC under this programme across all States and UTs. The State/UT-wise fund approvals have been given towards Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) activities during the last three years.
As per the report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the percentage of mothers who had at least 4 antenatal care visits has increased from 51.2 % in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 58.1% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) and the percentage of pregnant women with institutional births in public facility has increased from 52.1 % in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 61.9% in NFHS-5 (2019-21). One of the key focus areas during Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is to generate demand through Information Education & Communication (IEC), Inter-personal Communication (IPC) and Behavior Change Communication (BCC) activities. Extensive use of audio-visual and print media in raising mass awareness is an integral part of IEC/BCC campaign. Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Anganwadi Worker (AWW) play a pivotal role in mobilization of the community and potential beneficiaries in both rural and urban areas for availing of services during the PMSMA.
26-Jul-2022: Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day, free of cost assured, comprehensive and quality Antenatal Care
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day, free of cost assured, comprehensive and quality Antenatal Care on the 9th day of every month to pregnant women in their 2nd / 3rd trimesters of pregnancy at designated government health facilities. Under PMSMA Program, private medical practitioners are also encouraged to offer voluntary services at government health facilities. A total of 2937 volunteers are offering PMSMA services to pregnant women including poor pregnant women as well as farmer families on 9th of every month (source: PMSMA Portal). The Government honours such private medical practitioners with ‘IPledgeFor9’ Achievers Awards.
29-Jun-2018: 'IPledgefor9' Achievers and MMR Reduction Awards
‘IPledgefor9' Achievers Awards were given to the individuals and teams of doctors from the private sector and States for their exemplary services, outstanding support of institutions and commitment from support partners in achieving the mission’s objectives of safe motherhood to every woman in the country. Shri J P Nadda also conferred awards to the States that have shown an exemplary decline in MMR as per the recently released SRS data.
India has made substantial progress on several indicators in spite of its huge numbers and challenging topography. India has shown impressive gains with 22% reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) since 2013. “Uttar Pradesh with 30% decline has topped the chart in the reduction of maternal deaths”.
Providing quality services to over 2 crore pregnant women in India required amalgamation of far reaching vision, policy and implementation at the ground level. One of our biggest achievements is that the program has been successful in reaching out to difficult and some of the remotest areas of the country. Of 1.3 crores medical check-ups conducted as part of the campaign, more than 25 lakh were in the high-priority districts identified by the Health ministry for focused attention.
States joined this programme with equal vigour and Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and other states have been able to improve their MMR. Also, India succeeded in achieving MDG 4 and MDG 5.
Since its launch, over 1.30 crore antenatal checks ups have been conducted by public sector obstetrician- gynecologists and voluntary participation of over 5000 private and in rural, urban and hard to reach government health facilities. This has resulted in identifying more than 6,50,000 high risk pregnancies, considered to be a major contributor in preventable maternal deaths. Strengthening the mission’s objectives, around 13000 government healthcare facilities like PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals are providing PMSMA services on 9th of every month. The mission is proving to be a successful scalable effort by government to facilitate positive engagement between public and private health care providers to achieve the SDG targets.
According to a special bulletin on “Maternal Mortality Ratio in India 2014-16” by Sample Registration System, the maternal mortality ratio has declined to 130 in 2014-16 from 167 in 2011-13. Furthering the gain, the government’s ambitious programme for improving maternal care, Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) launched in 2016 is a mission in advancing India’s course of achieving Sustainable Development Goals for MMR below 70 by 2030.
Prime Minister of India in the 31st July 2016 episode of “Mann Ki Baat”, urged private sector doctors to dedicate 12 days in a year to safe motherhood and provide voluntary services under PMSMA on the 9th of every month. He envisaged that 9th of every month symbolizing 9 months of pregnancy should be dedicated to addressing gaps in maternal health services particularly in hard to reach and rural areas. The mission ensures that every pregnant woman registered under PMSMA receives free, comprehensive and quality antenatal care services in their second and third trimesters across India.
India has made impressive progress in reducing maternal deaths and achieving the targets of MDG 5. Nearly 1000 fewer women are now dying of pregnancy related complications each month as compared to 2013. The government's efforts at improving access to maternal health services leading to increase in institutional births has significantly contributed to groundbreaking reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) by 22 percent from 2013 levels. Emphasis on mitigating the social determinants of maternal health like increase in girl’s education and reduction in child marriages are other enabling factors that contributed to this notable success.
19-Jan-2018: Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan crosses 1 crore mark.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) programme has crossed one crore mark in antenatal check-ups. The PMSMA programme was launched in 2016 to fulfil his vision and ensure comprehensive and quality antenatal checkups to pregnant women across India. “More than one crore antenatal check-ups have been conducted under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), which has provided quality antenatal checkups to pregnant women on the 9th of every month. 9th of every month, symbolizing the 9 months of pregnancy, is dedicated to pregnant women. Now safe pregnancy has become a social movement in our country.
The programme has been successful in reaching out to the difficult and remote areas of India, since out of the 1 crore checkups across the country, more than 25 lakh check-ups were conducted in high priority districts identified by the Health Ministry for focussed attention. “While all States/ UTs have made significant efforts to reach out to pregnant women, Maharashtra has reported the largest number of check-ups among the Non-Empowered Action Group (EAG) States and Rajasthan has reported the largest number of check-ups among the Empowered Action Group States. All pregnant women visiting the PMSMA sites are examined by an obstetrician/ physician and appropriately investigated.
In the 31st July 2016 episode of Mann Ki Baat, Hon’ble Prime Minister had urged private sector doctors to dedicate 12 days in a year to this programme and provide voluntary services under PMSMA on the 9th of every month. There are more than 12,800 government health facilities across States/ UTs where PMSMA sessions are conducted on the 9th of every month and pregnant women receive fixed-day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care in their second and third trimesters. More than 4,800 private sector doctors have pledged to provide voluntary service under PMSMA. More than 385 private sector volunteers have provided services in the high priority districts such as Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. Several of these volunteers have provided free services at nearby government health facilities more than 10 times in the past months.
Comprehensive and quality ANC, and identification and follow-up of high risk pregnancies are critical components of the Abhiyan. In order to enable early detection of high risk pregnancies, 84 lakh haemoglobin tests, 55 lakh HIV tests, 41 lakh tests for gestational diabetes, 33 lakh tests for syphilis and more than 15 lakh ultrasounds have been conducted under the programme based on the individual requirements of pregnant women. Based on the clinical conditions and investigations, over 5.50 lakh pregnant women were identified as high risk pregnancies and referred to a specialist or a higher health facility for appropriate care. Identifying high risk pregnancies is the first step towards saving mothers and infants from preventable deaths.
India is committed to reducing preventable maternal deaths through concerted efforts and public –private partnership. The PMSMA has reached one crore mark with the commitment from doctors in the government sector across States/ UTs and with the help of the large number of private sector doctors who have voluntarily pledged for this initiative.