Accredited Social Health Activist : Planning For Incentives
The government is planning to give incentives to ASHA health activists for mobilising eligible individuals for sickle cell disease screening and distribution of sickle cell cards.
- ASHA is a trained female community health activist.
- ASHA workers are a core part of the National Rural Health Mission launched by the Government of India.
- Selected from the community itself and accountable to it, the ASHA will be trained to work as an interface between the community and the public health system.
- Functions:
- Act as a care provider at the community level.
- Facilitating access to healthcare, medicine, and sanitation services.
- Raising the level of awareness of health issues among the marginalised sections within the community.
- Advocate for female health and hygiene standards.
- An ASHA worker is primarily an “honorary volunteer” but is compensated for her time in specific situations (such as training attendance, monthly reviews, and other meetings).
- On an average, an ASHA worker’s monthly income varies from Rs 2,000 per month to Rs 7,000 per month, depending on the state.
