A study on the work profile of ASHA workers in a district of Odisha in eastern India

Abstract

Background: Our aim was to study the socio demographic determinants of ASHA workers, to study the work profile of the ASHA workers, to assess the knowledge, awareness and practice of their roles and responsibilities in the delivery of health care services and to suggest specific recommendations on the ASHA scheme based on the study findings.Methods: The type of study was a cross sectional study, placed at Khordha district in Odisha. Time Period of this study was March to June 2018. 1218 ASHAs were finally included in the study. On the days of the monthly sector / block level meetings with ASHA workers they were appraised and accordingly a predesigned, pretested questionnaire was implemented to them.Results: Nearly 93% of ASHA workers were trained with module 1 to 5, first AID and DOTs training. Refresher training was given to 34% of ASHA workers, FTD/Malaria training was given to 88.4% of ASHA workers. 1218 (100%) ASHA’s helped in immunization. Majority of them 1199 (98.4%) accompanied delivery cases and 1198 (98.3%) were aware about family planning activities.Conclusions: Activities of ASHA’s should be increased with a corresponding increase in incentives, so that she can get up to Rs. 10000-15000 per month. IEC/BCC skills to ASHA may be built by short course certification. Other services like strengthening the role of ASHA on promotive and preventive health care particularly age at marriage, nutrition, home based care delay in first child birth and spacing between 1st and 2nd birth.

Knowledge Evaluation of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) on Maternal and Child Health, in a Rural Area of Gomati District, Tripura

“…Panda et al undertook a study on ASHAs working in some parts of Odisha, and found that 100% of the ASHAs helped in immunization, and 98% of them knew about family planning activities (9). Their observations are similar to that of the current study that majority of the ASHAs (66.5%) have correct knowledge about immunization and family planning.…”

Performance of accredited social health activists for maternal health component of their job responsibility in a rural block of Sonipat district of Haryana: a cross-sectional study

“…Similar finding was present in Panda et al conducted a study in rural block of Haryana. 13 In contrast of our study done by Kansal et al found that 43.7% of ASHA were from OBC caste. 14 Reason for such finding in our study may be because of recruitment of ASHA was not in accordance with population proportion as recommended in NHM guidelines.…”

Working as frontline health facilitators, service providers, program supporters, and social health activists in Indian hilly terrain areas: A qualitative study of accredited social health activists’ experiences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Several studies have reported that ASHAs are unhappy with the present incentive-based honorariums and are seeking permanent jobs with salaries [ 22 , 24 ]. Non-availability of transport has been described in other studies [ 19 , 25 ], for example, emergency “108” vehicles were often delayed in Orissa [ 25 ]).…”