A study of Roles and Performances of Accredited Social Health Activists ASHAs in Home Based Newborn Care Practices in the State of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The first month of life is the most crucial part of life as every child has to cross that barrier to newlinelive further. We all know that not all children are fortunate enough to cross this barrier. The newlinecurrent study was an effort to study these barriers and factors associated with these barriers in the newlinecontext of role and performance of ASHAs. The unit through which the current research chose to newlinestudy was the ASHAs who are volunteers of Panchayati Raj Institutions and seconded as health newlinepersonnel in the public health system. It was in this premise that the efficiency, effectiveness and newlineresult oriented timely visits by ASHAs to the houses of newborns was the base of the study. The newlineresearch encompassed the capacity and skills of ASHAs on home based newborn care practices newlineand examined the work of ASHAs through the actual actions at house-holds. newlineAn ASHA is a health activist in the community who creates awareness on health and its social newlinedeterminants and mobilizes the community towards local health planning and increased newlineutilization and accountability of existing health services. An Accredited Social Health Activist is newlineprimarily a woman resident of the village who is Married/Widow/Divorced and preferably in the newlineage group of 25 to 45 yrs. These are incentive based community workers who are appointed by newlinethe Local Self Governance (GOI guidelines on ASHA, 2005). There are 859,331 ASHAs in 32 newlinestates and union territories as per the data provided by the states on December, 2014 (MOHFW, newline2015). newlineThe ASHAs have creditably established themselves as activists, facilitators and providers of newlinecommunity level care across various contexts. The principle of local selection, experiential newlinetraining in a set of specific competencies and skills has enabled them to play a significant role in newlinebehavior change for households. (NHP, GOI, 2015). newlineThe study focused on the role and performance of ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist) newlineregarding home based newborn care practices. ASHAs are supposed to visit the houses of........