Fertility rate in Andhra Pradesh stands at 1.5, says official

Unveiling the campaign posters on safe deliveries on the World Population Day at Mangalagiri on July 11, Mr. Krishna Babu said despite challenges, the government has succeeded in stabilising the population growth in Andhra Pradesh.

The fertility rate in Andhra Pradesh stands at 1.5 and this is the result of the continuous hard work of the government over the past several years, Special Chief Secretary (Medical Health and Family Welfare) M.T. Krishna Babu has said.

Unveiling the campaign posters on safe deliveries on the World Population Day at Mangalagiri on July 11 (Thursday), Mr. Krishna Babu said despite challenges, the government has succeeded in stabilising the population growth in Andhra Pradesh. “However, there is still a long way to go,” he said.

Mr. Krishna Babu said that the State registers nearly 8 lakh deliveries every year. “The health department is conducting anaemia and haemoglobin tests for pregnant women. We also provide free transport facility for high-risk pregnant women to reach the nearest government hospital,” Mr. Krishna Babu said.

“We can bring down maternal and child mortality rates if we pay more attention to issues such as women getting married and conceiving before the age of 18 and reducing the gap between pregnancies,” he said, adding that local government leaders, self-help groups should join hands to make this possible.

He instructed the officials to undertake campaigns to create awareness among couples on when to plan pregnancy to ensure that the mother and child are safe, and also on the gap one needs to maintain after the first delivery.