Thank you ASHAs, for what you do.
On world health day, the 7th of April 2016, let us pay our respects and thank a group of people who have made a huge positive change in people’s health in India – ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists). There have been close to one million of them in India since its inception about 10 years ago.
On this day, the ASHA mentoring group of the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) of Ministry of Health of Government of India met to discuss the progress and to make future plans. A fact that was brought out says a lot about the program’s effectiveness.
ASHAs were once expected to accompany pregnant women to the health centre for an antenatal check.
They did.
The program was so successful that most women go on their own now; no persuasion needed. So a new instruction went to ASHAs: you do not have to accompany the women anymore.
They still did.
Why?
“They are people from our community. They ask for our help. How can we not go?”
Thank you ASHAs.