48 Crore Sanitary Pads Sold Since 2018 Under Government Scheme, Rural Usage Up From 12% To 45%

New Delhi: The uptake of Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins among women in the country has increased to 55 per cent from around 30 per cent in the last three years, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The rural uptake of sanitary pads in the same period has gone up from around 12 per cent to 45 per cent, Mr Mandaviya said on Thursday (December 14). Since inception in June 2018 till November 30, 2023, over 47.87 crore Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Pads have been sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras, according to the government data.

Talking about the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’s (PMBJP) Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins programme, the Health Minister said,

The use of sanitary pads has recorded a substantial increase among rural women under the PMBJP which in the past was restricted to urban population.

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Mr Mandaviya emphasised that by providing accessible sanitary pads, the government is empowering women, enabling them to lead healthier lives and play a more significant role in the nation’s progress. He said,

To ensure women’s health, PM Modi through the Jan Aushadi Kendra made more than 35 crore sanitary pads available to the women in villages. In 2014, the reach of sanitary pads in villages was 11-12 per cent, now it has increased to 45 per cent. Women are being empowered to contribute to the development of the country.

Keeping in view the health of the women in terms of hygiene, under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the Government launched Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkins at Rs. 2.50 per pad in June 2018.

To make sanitary pads more affordable and accessible to women, the government slashed the price to Re 1 per pad from Rs 2.50 in August 2019. The average price of sanitary napkins available in the market currently is around Rs 8 per pad.

With Suvidha napkin, the government aims to make the much-needed product affordable for underprivileged women.

These napkins are sold at a highly subsidised rate of Rs. 1 per pad in over 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country.

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(With inputs from agencies)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.