Accredited Social Health Activist: trained female community health worker in india, playing key role in promoting healthcare, sanitation & maternal health.
- introduced under NRHM 2005 to provide essential healthcare services in rural areas
- NRHM merged with NUHM in 2013, to form National Health Mission
- ASHA work alongside Anganwadi Workers under Integrated Child Development Services
- ASHA is local woman, age 25-45, preferably married, widowed or divorced, w/ atleast class 10 education
- considered volunteers, limiting earning to task based incentive
Responsibilities
- antenatal checkup
- postnatal care
- educating mothers on breastfeeding, infant care
- support immunization, TB treatment, malaria screening
- provide basic healthcare, essential medicine
- first aid, report birth, deaths
Concerns
- low & irregular payments
- funding issues
- not classified as govt employees no fixed wage, pension, gratuity, PF or medical insurance
Empowering ASHA
- formalization or contractualisation to ensure labour rights, protections
- skill development, transition to higher healthcare roles eg. Midwives, Auxillary nurse
- financial security - fixed salary + DBT
Extras
- WHO conferred World Health Leaders Award 2022 for ASHA workers for crucial role during COVID 19
- 2020 Parl Standing Committee on Labour: recommended formalizing their roles
- no action taken