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Maharashtra Cracks Down on Sex Selection with New Pregnancy Tracking
24 Mar
Summary
- Maharashtra will monitor pregnant women with daughters until birth.
- ASHA workers will track pregnancies to prevent sex selection.
- The state aims to improve its declining female-to-male sex ratio.
Maharashtra is introducing a novel program to combat sex determination and female foeticide by monitoring pregnant women who already have one or more daughters. This initiative, set to be implemented across the state, involves ASHA workers tracking these pregnancies until birth. Existing enforcement under the PCPNDT Act, 1994, has been deemed insufficient.
The state public health department has issued new guidelines to address the challenge posed by increasingly available portable ultrasound machines. The goal is to enhance grassroots monitoring and ensure accountability, as highlighted by Dr. Sandeep Sangale. Maharashtra's sex ratio has declined to 912 females per 1,000 males, below the World Health Organization's recommended natural ratio.
District and municipal health authorities are mandated to submit monthly reports on these cases to the state for review by the public health minister. Pune Municipal Corporation's health authority will soon issue specific orders to its medical officers for implementation. Officials emphasize sensitive handling to protect women's rights and privacy while improving gender balance.
