Couples who lost their children in the 2004 tsunami are desperate to have more children.

More than 50 women in the hardest hit town of Nagapattinam have undergone surgery to reverse the sterilization procedure carried out under India's state-sponsored family planning program aimed at controlling population.

The tsunami killed more than 6,065 residents; more than one-third of these were children.

Volunteers and mental health experts say that for families who lost their offspring, the desire to have more children is a major factor in rebuilding their lives.

Doctors say the tsunami has boosted pregnancies in general among survivors in India and Indonesia.

[CNN.com, 21Dec2005; HLA Action News, Spring 2006]