Role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) in Promoting Maternal Health Services:  A Cross Sectional Study in Rural Areas of Aurangabad City.

Dr. Mahavir P. Nakel; Dr. Prakash L. Gattani

Volume : IV, Issue : VI, June - 2015

Role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) in Promoting Maternal Health Services: A Cross Sectional Study in Rural Areas of Aurangabad City.

Dr. Mahavir P. Nakel, Dr. Prakash L. Gattani

Abstract :

Background: Government of India has launched an ambitious initiative called National Rural Health Mission on 5th April, 2005, for seven years (2005–2012). One of the key components of NRHM is to provide trained female health activist i. e. ASHA in every village to work as an interface between community & public health system. Objectives: 1)To assess the role of ASHA in promoting institutional delivery. 2) To study the constraints of ASHA regarding promotion of maternal health services Material and methods: Study was undertaken in two sub centers under one of the PHCs in Aurangabad District. A total of 659 respondent women and 26 ASHAs were interviewed to collect information. Results: Out of total 799 births in the year 2007 to 2012, 28.03% were home deliveries and 71.9% were hospital deliveries. Results revealed no significant year wise difference between home and hospital deliveries in villages without ASHA as compared to those with ASHA. Conclusions: It was found that prevalence of hospital delivery was higher in women who had promoted for ANC. There are so many health auxiliaries for promoting mothers to deliver at hospitals, in spite of presence of ASHA in village; prevalence of home delivery was at par.