Janani Suraksha Yojana pays dividends: Study

October 10, 2016

As per the new study Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) has played important role in reducing ‘socioeconomic disparities’ existing in maternal care.
The study was conducted by researchers from Delhi based National Council of Applied Economic Research.
This is for first time study has shown JSY has reduced socioeconomic inequalities in maternal care compared to earlier studies which showed impact of JSY in reducing maternal mortality.
Key Findings

JSY has led to reduction of prevalent differences in access to maternal care between individual people of higher or lower socioeconomic status.
It has led to enhancement in utilisation of health services among all groups especially among the poorer and underserved sections in the rural areas.
Utilisation of all three maternal healthcare services was remarkably higher among illiterate or less educated and poor women.
Usage of all three maternal healthcare services by the Dalit, Adivasis, OBC and Muslim women increased between the surveys.
However, inequalities still exist in access to maternal care but JSY has narrowed gap in access to healthcare between the marginalised group of women and financially better-off.
Women in their early 20s more likely avail maternal health care services as compared to their older women.
The incidence of women availing maternal healthcare decreases with the increase in the number of children.

jsy-pays-divident-the-hindu
Background
In India, high incidence of maternal mortality continues to plague. As per the latest report on maternal health, India accounted for 15% the total maternal deaths in the world in 2015 second only to Nigeria with 45,000 women dying during pregnancy or childbirth.

About Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

The JSY was launched as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 to improve maternal and neonatal health by promotion of institutional deliveries (childbirth in hospitals). It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme (CSS). It integrates cash assistance with delivery and post-delivery care.
Under it, ASHA (Accredited social health activist) is considered as a link between Government and poor pregnant women for encourage institutional deliveries among poor women.