Framework to Improve Coordination Amongst Ministries to Strengthen ASHA Program in India: Based on the Assessment of ASHA program in Rural Rajasthan

Authors

  • Rajat Khanna Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4877-481X
  • Nirupama Prakash Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh
  • Alka Sharma Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sector-128, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2019.v31i04.005

Keywords:

Coordination, Framework, Ministries, ASHA, Program, Assessment, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Background: Community Health Workers (CHW) are groomed under community established healthcare programmes and supported by primary health care approach. Under the Community Health Programme (CHP) of National Health Mission (NHM), trained female CHW named as Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) has been deployed in every village of India to serve the most marginalized and vulnerable rural population. Methodology: A mix method with qualitative and quantitative data collection was used in this research in three districts of Alwar, Bharatpur and Dausa in Rajasthan. Quantitative data was collected from 309 ASHAs selected through Simple Random Sampling Method and Qualitative data was collected from 30 ASHAs, selected through purposive sampling. Results: A significant relationship was found between ASHA Knowledge, Skills and Practices as a dependent variable and ASHAs trained on Community Mobilization and Inter-personal Communication, Supportive Supervision Visits received and Timely Incentives as Independent Variables. 65% ASHAs received Supportive Supervision, 56% ASHAs received support from Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI), 17% were able to meet PRIs and 13% ASHAs were able to request PRIs for support in community mobilization. ASHAs revealed heavy workload, societal & personal issues and socio-cultural beliefs & practices as important factors. ASHAs felt they need better quality of training material and methodology on community & social mobilization. This study provides a framework to improve coordination amongst ministries of Government of India to strengthen ASHA program.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Census of India 2011, Registrar General of India.

Levels & Trends in Child Mortality, Report 2014, UNICEF

Sample Registration System (SRS) 2017, Registrar General of India.

Sample Registration System (SRS) 2006, Registrar General of India.

Waskel, B., Dixit, S., Singodia, R., D.K., P., Toppo, M., S.C., T., & Saroshe, S. Evaluation of Asha Programme in Selected Block of Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh Under the National Rural Health Mission. (2014). Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences, https://doi.org/10.14260/jemds/2014/1887.

Patel, M. G., Mahyavanshi, D. K., Kartha, G., Purani, S. K., & Nagar, S. S. (2011). A cross sectional study of the knowledge, attitude and practice of ASHA workers regarding child health (under five years of age) in Surendranagar district. Healthline http://www.iapsmgc.org/index_pdf/47.pdf.

A Study To Evaluate Working Profile of Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha) and To Assess Their Knowledge About Infant Health Care. (2013). International Journal of Current Research and Review.

Neogi, S. B., Sharma, J., Chauhan, M., Khanna, R., Chokshi, M., Srivastava, R. Paul, V. K. (2016). Care of newborn in the community and at home. Journal of Perinatology, https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2016.185.

Sinha, L. N., Kaur, P., Gupta, R., Dalpath, S., Goyal, V., & Murhekar, M. (2014). Newborn care practices and home-based postnatal newborn care programme – Mewat, Haryana, India, 2013. Western Pacific Surveillance and Response, https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2014.5.1.006.

Shet, S., Sumit, K., & Phadnis, S. (2018). A study on assessment of ASHA’s work profile in the context of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka, India. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2017.08.004.

Scott K., & Shobhit S. (2010). Tying their hands? Institutional obstacles to the success of the ASHA community health worker programme in rural north India. (Special Issue: The social context of community mobilization: foundations for success or failure) AIDS Care.

Nongdrenkhomba, H. N., Prasad, B. M., Baishya, A. C., & Shome, B. K. (2014). An analysis of ASHA Facilitator Model: Assam, India. South East Asia Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v3i2.20039.

Dagar, N., Bhardwaj, U., & Bansal, P. (2017). The Problems Faced by ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist)-A Qualitative Study. JoNSP, (January), www.stmjournals.com.

Saprii, L., Richards, E., Kokho, P., & Theobald, S. (2015). Community health workers in rural India: Analyzing the opportunities and challenges Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) face in realizing their multiple roles. Human Resources for Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-015-0094-3.

Scott K., George A. S., & Ved R. R. (2019). Taking stock of 10 years of published research on the ASHA programme: Examining India’s national community health worker programme from a health systems perspective. Health Research Policy and Systems, 17(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-019-0427-0.

Roy, S., & Sahu, B. (2013). Can ASHA be the ray of hope for providing MCH services in Odisha, India? Exploring through a qualitative study. The Journal of Global Health Care Systems.

Singh, R., & Purohit, B. (2012). Limitations in the functioning of Village Health and Sanitation Committees in a North Western State in India. International Journal of Medicine and Public https://doi.org/10.5530/ijmedph.2.3.9.

Scott, K., Sheikh, K., George, A., Garimella, S., Mondal, S., Patel, G., & Ved, R. (2016). Understanding the Contextual Factors That Influence Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees in Northern India, 1 (Suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2016-ephpabstracts.

Fathima, F. N., Mony, P. K., Raju, M., Varadharajan, K. S., & Krishnamurthy, A. (2015). Assessment of ’Accredited Social Health Activists’-A national community health volunteer scheme in Karnataka state, India. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v33i1.3203.

Strasser R., Kam S.M. and Regalado S.M. (2016). Rural Health Care Access and Policy in Developing Countries.

Downloads

Published

2019-12-31

How to Cite

1.
Khanna R, Prakash N, Sharma A. Framework to Improve Coordination Amongst Ministries to Strengthen ASHA Program in India: Based on the Assessment of ASHA program in Rural Rajasthan. Indian J Community Health [Internet]. 2019 Dec. 31 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];31(4):442-9. Available from: http://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/1215

Issue

Section

Original Article