Strengthening Primary Health Care Through Asha Workers: A Novel Approach in India

Abstract

A primary health care-based health system should ensure universal coverage and access to services that are both equity-enhanced and acceptable to the population. Accredited Social Health Activist being the grass root level worker, the success of National Rural Health Mission in India depends on how efficiently is ASHA able to perform. ASHA plays an important role in reaching primary health to rural areas. She is an inevitable component in bringing health services to the grass root level by creating awareness on health and mobilizing the community towards local health planning. This has resulted into increased utilization of maternal and child health services. She has an important role in motivating people to use existing health care services and acts as a link between community and the health care system. She collaborates with local self governments in addressing the health needs of the society. After implementation of the programme, some health indicators have shown decline like Maternal Mortality Ratio, Infant Mortality Rate and Total fertility Rate. With the involvement of ASHA, the country has been making remarkable strides in the improvement of maternal health. ASHA’s have become a backbone of National Rural Health Mission and have become an integral part of social life in the villages of India. From the perspective of the shortage of human resources for primary health care in the country, ASHAs are an important resource complementing the health system and facilitating efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.