The role of the Accredited Social Health Activists in effective health care delivery: evidence from a study in South Orissa

Introduction In order to provide effective healthcare to the rural population, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) by government of India proposed introduction of female health workers village level. These workers are called Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and their role is to act at an interface between the community and the government healthcare services. More specifically, she is responsible for promoting universal immunisation, referral and escort services for reproductive and child healthcare and other health care delivery programs. In this context, this paper would discuss the role of the ASHAs in fulfilling these responsibilities and thus facilitating access to quality health care in rural areas. The paper draws on data collected as part of a larger research project on “Explaining differential immunisation coverage in India and Malawi”, a collaborative project between University of Oslo (Norway) and University of Delhi (India).