Assessing The Working Of Accredited Social Health Activists Under National Health Mission In Jammu And Kashmir, India: Issues And Challenges

Abstract

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are the first point of contact for any health-related demands of deprived sections of population, particularly women and children who have difficulty in accessing health services. The success of NHM depends on efficiency of ASHAs in performing their duties, as ASHA is the key module of National Health Mission (NHM). The present study is an attempt to identify challenges faced by ASHAs while dispensing their duties in Jammu and Kashmir. The study is both qualitative and quantitative in nature and makes use of mixed primary-cum-secondary data sources. The study makes use of in-depth interviewing of the ASHAs from Jammu and Kashmir. The findings of the study revealed various challenges faced by ASHAs in accomplishing their jobs. Finally, various suggestions have been given to overcome these challenges in order to improve the work performance of ASHAs.