COMPONENTS

The mission plans to promote access to healthcare to rural households through a female health activist, ASHA. The main components are descibed below:-

COMPONENT 1: Accredition Social Health Activists (ASHA)

Every village wil have a female Accredited Socail Health Activists (ASHA) which is the refined version of community health worker, chosen by the panchayat .She will be trained on a pedagogy of public health developed and mentored through a Standing Mentoring Group at National level.She will be promoted all over the country , with special emphasis on the 18 high focus states.

Selection of ASHA

• Must be a resident of the village- a women married /widow/divorced

• Age group 25-45yrs

• With formal eduaction up to 8th class, having communication skills and leadership qualities.

• Norm for selection will be one ASHA for 1000 population .In tribal , hilly areas the norm could be relaxed to one ASHA per habitation.

At present one lakh ASHA’s have been selected and trained.

Role and Responsibility of ASHA

• ASHA will take steps to craete awareness and to provide information to the community on determinants of health such as nutrition, basic sanitation and hygiene practices, healthy living condition and information about existing health services.

• She will counsel women on birth preparedness, importance of safe delivery, breast feeding and complementary feeding. Immunization, contraception and prevention of STD/RTI and care of young child

• ASHA will mobilise and facilitate them in accessing health and health related services availableat the anganwadi/sub-centre/PHC such as immunization, ante-natal checkup, post-natal checkup, supplementary nutrition and sanitation.

• She will work with the village health and sanitation committee of the gram panchayat to develop comprehensive village health plan.

• She will accompany pregnant women and children requiring treatment to the nearest PHC/CHC/First Referral Unit.

• ASHA will provide primary medical care for minor ailments such as diarrhoea, fever, and first aid for minor injuries.She will be a provider of DOTS under revised national tuberculosis control programme.

• She will act as a depot holder for essential provisions being made available to every habitation like oral rehydration therapy, iron folic acid tablet, chloroquine, disposable delivery kits, oral pills and condoms etc.Adrug kit will be provided to each ASHA.

• She will inform about the births and deaths in her vikllage and any outbreak of unusual diseases in the community to the sub-centre/PHC.

• She will promote construction of household toilets under total sanitation campaign.

Role and integration of ASHA with ANM

Anganwadi worker will guide ASHA in performing the following activities:-

• Organising Health Day once/twice a month.

• AWWs and ANMs will act as a resource for the training of of ASHA.

• IEC activity through display of posters, folk dance etc.to sensitize the beneficiaries on health related issues.

• Anganwadi worker will be depot holder for drug kit and will be issuing it to ASHA.

• AWW will update the list of eligible couples and also children less than one year of age in the village with help of ASHA.

• ASHA will support the AWW in mobilising pregnant and lactating women and infants for nutrition supplement.

Auxillary Nurse Midwife (ANM) will guide ASHA in performing activities:-

• She will hold weekly/ fortnightly meeting with ASHA and discuss the activities during the week.

• AWWs and ANMs will as a resource for the training of of ASHA.

• ANMs will inform ASHA regarding the date and time of outreach sesion.

• She will take help of ASHA in updating eligible couple register

• She will utilise ASHA in motivating pregnant women for coming to sub-centre for initial check ups.

• ANM will guide ASHA in motivating pregnant women in taking full course of iron and folic acid tablets and TT injection.

• ANM will orient ASHA on the dose schedule and side effects of oral pills.

• ANMs will educate ASHA on danger signs of pregnancy and labour so that she can timely identify and help beneficiary in getting further treatment.

• ANMs willinform ASHA on date, time and place for initial and periodic training schedule.

Category: PSM Notes