About Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA):

• 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.
  • Advocate for a health-conscious behaviour and approach to livelihood.
• The ASHA scheme is presently in place in all States/UTs (except Goa).
• The states are mandated to employ at least one ASHA worker per every 1000 people.
• They are chosen through a rigorous process of selection involving various community groups, self-help groups, Anganwadi Institutions, Block Nodal officer, District Nodal officer, the village Health Committee and the Gram Sabha.
• The States have been given the flexibility to relax the population norms as well as the educational qualifications on a case to case basis, depending on the local conditions as far as her recruitment is concerned.
• Selection Criteria:
  • In rural areas, ASHA must primarily be a woman resident of the village married/ widowed/ divorced, preferably in the age group of 25 to 45 yearsand literate preferably qualified up to 10th standard (formal education up to Class 8).
  • In urban areas, ASHA must be a woman resident of the “slum/vulnerable clusters” and belong to that particular vulnerable group which have been identified by City/District Health Society for selection of ASHA, and must have good communication and leadership skills.
• Compensation for ASHA:
  • 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.
  • In addition, she is eligible for incentives offered under various national health programmes. 
  • She would also have income from the social marketing of certain healthcare products like condoms, contraceptive pills, sanitary napkins, etc.