Nagpur has recorded a steady rise in the number of pregnant women accessing antenatal care (ANC) through Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), with 4,899 women availing the services during 2025-26, according to data from the PMSMA Portal cited by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Parliament. The figure is an 11.6% increase over 4,389 women recorded in 2024-25. The rise becomes more significant when compared with previous years. The number increased from just 78 in 2022-23 to 1,849 in 2023-24, before more than doubling to 4,389 in 2024-25 and reaching 4,899 in 2025-26.

 

The increase comes amid efforts by the Government to improve access to antenatal care and encourage pregnant women to undergo regular health check-ups. Under PMSMA, pregnant women can access assured antenatal care on the 9th of every month, with services including medical examination, investigations, medicines and specialist consultation. The programme places particular emphasis on early identification of high-risk pregnancies, allowing women requiring additional care to be identified and followed up. Awareness and community-level mobilisation are also an important part of the programme.

 

ASHA workers and other frontline health workers help identify and mobilise pregnant women for antenatal check-ups and follow-up, particularly those considered at high risk. The availability of services closer to beneficiaries and fixed-day ANC sessions may help improve utilisation of Government maternal-health services. Financial support for maternity care is another government intervention aimed at encouraging timely registration and healthcare utilisation. Under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), eligible beneficiaries can receive Rs 5,000 for the first child, subject to prescribed conditions, including pregnancy registration and antenatal care. An eligible beneficiary can also receive Rs 6,000 for the second child if the child is a girl, subject to the scheme’s conditions. Rise in Nagpur also comes against an improving maternal-health picture in Maharashtra. According to the Union Health Ministry, the State’s Maternal Mortality Ratio declined from 61 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 37 in 2022-24. The Nagpur figures point to growing utilisation of a Government-supported antenatal-care programme, while also highlighting the role of Government initiatives aimed at improving timely maternal healthcare.