ASHA Training

“ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) is 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 in rural areas. Capacity building of ASHA is being viewed as a continuous process”. MPVHA is involved in training of ASHA’s on different modules prescribed by the government.

The training of ASHA’s is a key component of the community processes element of the National Health Mission (NHM) intended to achieve the goal of increasing community engagement with the health system. The ASHA is woman community health worker selected by the community, resident within the community and she is trained, deployed and supported to improve the health status of the community through securing people’s access to health care services. The program was launched first in the year 2006 in 18 high focus states of the country and tribal areas of other states and later expanded to all 35 States and Union Territories except Goa. At present there are about 9.50 lakh ASHAs in position across the country”.

One of the key factors of ASHA Program is the mechanism for regular training of ASHA workers through an experimental form of modular training accompanied by active hand-holding and support. The program made a provision of 23 days of modular training in the first year to be followed by 15 days of supplementary training every year thereafter. Module 6 & 7 training is of 20 days duration to be transacted over four rounds of 5 days each.

MPVHA is conducting ASHA training Module 6 & 7 in Khargone district since 2012 in collaboration with the Health and Family Welfare Department of State Government and District Health Society, Khargone.

• Improved knowledge skill and strengthen the network of ASHA.
• ASHA’s  are not only being trained but also motivated to abridge the gap between service providers and seekers.
• They are playing vital role in reduction of  maternal and infant mortality in the state.
• Their knowledge, skills are now being used to strengthen the other national programs too.

Earlier following the Alma-Ata declaration i.e. Health for All by 2000, MPVHA was involved in building the capacity of village health guides/workers in the state. A cadre of well trained personnel developed in more than 150 civil societies to train and cover large number of these workers. Many of them have become master trainer as well as implementers of ASHA training these days.