Participants at the conference in Patna on Friday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, May 27: Hard to buy, but true. Only 37 per cent of the women in the age group of 15-34 years have institutional delivery in rural Bihar.

This figure is after the introduction of the Janani Suraksha Yojana four years ago. Prior to that, only 14 per cent of women aged between 15 and 34 years had institutional delivery in rural Bihar.

The startling facts came to the fore at a conference organised today to discuss the behaviour changes communication (BCC) to improve family health outcome. International NGO Population Council was its organiser. The NGO works with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the state in the health sector.

Number of workers and officials from various NGOs participated in the conference aimed at exploring eight simple behaviours, including institutional delivery and postpartum care, thermal care to the newborn babies, early and exclusive breastfeeding, timely introduction to complimentary food, immunisation, postpartum contraception and safe delivery at home.

Six comprehensive surveys carried out by Population Council were also presented during the course of the conference.

“The Population Council is trying to understand why these simple behaviours under the control of the family and community are not being adopted. We mean to find out what are the key barriers, which if addressed, would accelerate the behavioural changes. We are also trying to understand certain culturally supported facilitating factors which could be further taken advantage of and strengthened to accelerate adoption of healthy family behaviour,” said M.E. Khan, director of BCC project, Population Council.

Presenting one of the surveys, programme officer Deepthi Verma said only 14 per cent of the women aged 15-34 years in rural Bihar had an institutional delivery. Four years after the introduction of the Janani Suraksha Yojana, 37 per cent of women in that age group delivered at an institution. The main reasons why almost half of the women still do not go for delivery at an institution are perceived high cost of delivery, lack of perceived need to deliver at a facility, lack of knowledge of multiple benefits of institutional deliveries.

A report on postpartum contraception highlighted that key barriers include lack of knowledge among women on return of fertility after delivery, lack of knowledge of various contraceptive methods available and how to use them correctly. As per the survey, Accredited Social Health Activists, who are supposed to stock condoms, rarely do so. Often condoms and pills are only available in big villages or at the block-level markets. The knowledge of safe period method — a natural way of contraception — is also poor.

Myths and misconception regarding breastfeeding practices were also reported.

“Most women are not aware that breast milk will be produced fast only if the child is allowed to breastfeed early and frequently. Therefore, soon after birth, the child should be wiped dry and put on the mothers to breastfeed,” the report said.