Abstract
ASHAs were introduced in UP through NRHM in 2005, the first major task of ASHAs was to focus on maternal and child health to reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio and Infant Mortality Rate in the state of UP. Their primary activity was to visit homes of pregnant women. The first program in UP operated through the ASHAs was the Comprehensive Child Survival Program in 2008. Since then, tracking of all pregnancies to decipher messages on ANC and birth planning is an integral part of the work of ASHAs across the state of UP.
The current study explores variables like the average visits of each of the ASHAs to pregnant women in absolute numbers in four districts of UP. Further, the study sees the percentage of the ASHAs that give messages on ANC like TT injections, BP and abdominal examination, IFA tablets and provision of 3 ANCs to pregnant women. In addition to that, the percentage of ASHAs giving messages on birth planning like identification of place of delivery, birth attendant, arranging money, arranging transport and identification of blood donor. Information on JSY was also a part of the message. These activities were done by the ASHAs in the last 3 months prior to the survey.
The relevance of the study assumes significance as data on the details of targeted messages done by ASHAs through home visits are never discussed in detail and further there is no comparison to their performance visa vis the inputs they received through capacity building.
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 numbers of pregnant women visited by each of the ASHAs in the 4 districts in their catchment area in the 3 months were in the range of 4-6. Among the messages on ANC, IFA tablets consumption and TT injections were given by most of the ASHAs in the 4 districts. Among the birth planning messages, identification of place and birth attendant were given by most of the ASHAs in the 4 districts. This reflected that the focus of messages were neither prioritized nor covered by all the ASHAs.
