This was revealed in the recently published National Demographic and Health Survey-2004, conducted by National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to the survey, 92 percent of married women live in areas where child immunisation are available at the satellite clinics within a kilometer, while 76 percent of women can get an oral saline packet.

Supplies of birth control methods such as contraceptive pills and condoms are more readily available than clinical methods such as injectables, IUDs and sterilisation across the country.

Both birth control pills and condoms are available for 84 percent of women. Other methods, which are less readily available to women, include injectables (49 percent), IUD (18 percent), tubectomy (7 percent) and vasectomy (6 percent).

Access to satellite clinic services increased from 79 percent in 2000 to 92 percent in 2002 while the availability of contraceptive pills and condoms increased from 70 percent in 2000 to 84 percent in 2004.

The satellite clinics all over the country usually provide various health services including family planning education, contraceptive pills, condoms, IUD insertion, delivery care, child immunisation, child growth monitoring and health education.