Enhanced Remuneration for ASHA Workers

Sub : Schemes

Sec: Health

Context

Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda announced in Rajya Sabha on March 11, 2025, that ASHA workers will receive enhanced remuneration.

About ASHA Workers:

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are community health workers under the National Health Mission (NHM).
They play a crucial role in reducing infant and maternal mortality through government outreach programs.

Government’s Decision on Remuneration

The Mission Steering Group, the highest policy-making body under NHM, recommended increasing ASHA workers’ incentives.
The government will proceed with the recommendation.

Minister’s Acknowledgment of ASHA Workers’ Contribution

J. P. Nadda appreciated ASHA workers for their efforts at the grassroots level.
Their work has significantly contributed to reducing:
- Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR)
- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
- Under-Five Mortality Rate

Political Demands

Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) MPs protested in Parliament, demanding:
- An increase in ASHA workers’ honorarium to ₹21,000 per month.
- Retirement benefits of ₹5 lakh.

Understanding ASHA ,Anganwadi and Auxillary Nurse Midwives Workers: Roles, Responsibilities, and Remuneration

Roles and Responsibilities:

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs): Serve as community health volunteers, promoting maternal and child health, facilitating immunizations, and connecting communities to healthcare services.
Anganwadi Workers (AWWs): Operate at the village level, focusing on providing food supplements to young children, adolescent girls, and lactating women.
Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs): Based at health sub-centres or primary health centres, ANMs are trained in maternal and child health, including midwifery, and handle tasks like family planning, immunization, and infectious disease prevention.

Training:

ASHAs: Receive 3–4 weeks of training, with additional sessions periodically.
AWWs: Undergo similar training durations as ASHAs, focusing on nutrition and early childhood care.
ANMs: Complete 18 months of training, primarily centered on maternal and child health.

Remuneration:

ASHAs: Primarily receive performance-based incentives. For instance, they might earn ₹700–₹800 for facilitating institutional deliveries and ₹250 for ensuring a child’s complete immunization. Additionally, they now receive around ₹1,200 per month for routine tasks, independent of specific incentives.
AWWs: Considered volunteers but receive an “honorarium” ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 per month.
ANMs: Receive a government salary, reflecting their formal employment status and extended training.

Comparison:

ASHAs vs. AWWs: Both roles involve community health, but ASHAs focus more on healthcare facilitation and awareness, while AWWs concentrate on nutrition and early childhood development.
ASHAs vs. ANMs: ANMs have more extensive training and a broader scope of medical responsibilities, including clinical tasks, whereas ASHAs primarily engage in community mobilization and basic healthcare facilitation.