ASHAs effective in increasing institutional deliveries: Govt

Referring to an evaluation which found that ASHA workers were the "main motivators" for more than 60 per cent of the institutional deliveries, the Centre today said they have also been effective in mobilisation for immunisation.
"Review Mission reports and evaluation of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) programme in select states demonstrate that ASHAs have been effective in mobilisation for immunisation and in increasing institutional deliveries," Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
An ASHA evaluation commissioned by the National ASHA Mentoring Group and coordinated by National Health System Resource Centre was conducted in three rounds in 16 states - round 1 (2010-11), round 2 (2011-12 and round 3 (2013-14), he said.

"About 71 per cent of women delivered in the last six months and 61 per cent who reported an episode of childhood illness received services from ASHA.
"About 86 per cent of service users opted for institutional deliveries of which 67 per cent quoted ASHA as the main motivator. In case of maternal complications, 60 per cent respondents contacted ASHA," the Minister said.
The findings said 99 per cent of service users received immunisation of which in 84 per cent cases, it was facilitated by ASHAs, while about 50 per cent of the respondents with a sick newborn sought advise from ASHA for care.

It said importance of early initiation of breastfeeding for newborn was also found to be very high - 95 per cent.
"In cases of diarrhoea and symptoms of ARI, 84 per cent beneficiaries reported that ASHA helped them," the Minister said while talking about the findings of the evaluation.