Who are ASHA workers?

• ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers are volunteers from within the community who are trained to provide information and aid people in accessing benefits of various healthcare schemes of the government.
• They act as a bridge connecting marginalised communities with facilities such as primary health centres, sub-centres and district hospitals.
• The role of these community health volunteers was first established in 2005 under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). 
• ASHAs are primarily married, widowed, or divorced women between the ages of 25 and 45 years from within the community. 
  • She should be a literate woman with due preference in selection to those who are qualified up to 10 standard.

What do ASHA workers do?

• ASHAs are the first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population, especially women and children, who find it difficult to access health services.
• They go door-to-door in their designated areas creating awareness about basic nutrition, hygiene practices, and the health services available. 
• They also provide basic medicines and therapies to people under their jurisdiction such as oral rehydration solution, chloroquine for malaria, iron folic acid tablets to prevent anaemia, and contraceptive pills. 
• They are also tasked with screening for infections like malaria during the season. 

How much are ASHA workers paid?

• Since they are considered “volunteers”, governments are not obligated to pay them a salary. And, most states don’t. 
• ASHAs receive performance-based incentives for promoting universal immunization, referral and escort services for Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) and other healthcare programmes, and construction of household toilets.

Why in News?

• ASHA workers in Kerala are staging protests demanding an increase in their honorarium and retirement benefits.