ROLE OF ASHAS IN TRACKING DELIVERIES AND NEWBORNS IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Abstract

When ASHAs were introduced in NRHM in 2005, their primary aim was to visit homes of newborns as the first program in UP operated through the ASHAs was the Comprehensive Child Survival Program in 2008. Since then, tracking of all deliveries and all the newborns are an integral part of the work of ASHAs in all the primary health care programs operated by the NHM in UP.

The current study explores some of the crucial variables of the targeted activities of the ASHAs in absolute numbers in four districts of UP. Through this profile, the average number of deliveries in the coverage area of ASHAs, tracking of both institutional and home deliveries by ASHAs, number of deliveries escorted by ASHAs in the last 3 months prior to the survey and the number of newborns that they covered through home visits.  

The relevance of the study assumes significance as data on the details of targeted activities done by ASHAs in comparison to their performance are usually not available in various studies.

A total of four districts of Uttar Pradesh were selected purposively for the study and the data collection was conducted in the villages of the respective districts with the help of a pre-tested structured interview schedule with both close-ended and open-ended questions. In addition, in-depth interviews were also conducted amongst the ASHAs and a total 250 respondents had participated in the study.

The average number of deliveries by ASHAs in the 4 districts in their catchment area was in the range of 6-8. Most of the ASHAs accompanied the registered pregnant women in all the 4 districts. Among these registered pregnant women, 10-25% of their deliveries were home deliveries. This reflected that the focus of JSY did not yield to optimize the number of institutional deliveries.