ASHA, AWW, and MPHW Worker Criteria in K. Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine

1. ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist)

Selection Criteria:

• Must be a resident of the village itself
• Must be a woman (married / widow / divorced)
• Age: Preferably 25 to 45 years
• Education: Formal education up to 8th class (Class VIII)
• Should have communication skills and leadership qualities
• Adequate representation from disadvantaged/marginalized population groups is ensured
• Norm: One ASHA per 1,000 population
• In tribal, hilly, and desert areas, the norm can be relaxed to one ASHA per habitation

Key Roles:

• Creates awareness on health determinants (nutrition, sanitation, hygiene)
• Counsels women on birth preparedness, breastfeeding, immunization, contraception
• Mobilizes community to access anganwadi/sub-centre/PHC services
• Provides primary medical care for minor ailments (diarrhoea, fever, first aid)
• Serves as depot holder for essential drugs (ORS, IFA tablets, chloroquine, condoms, etc.)
• Acts as DOTS provider under RNTCP
• Reports births, deaths, disease outbreaks

2. AWW (Anganwadi Worker) - Under ICDS

Selection Criteria (as described):

• Selected from the community itself (local woman)
• Acts as a multipurpose agent at the anganwadi centre
• The focal point for delivery of Integrated Early Childhood Services

Key Roles:

• Provides direct link to children and mothers
• Assists CDPO in community surveys and identification of beneficiaries
• Organizes non-formal pre-school education sessions
• Provides health and nutrition education to mothers
• Assists PHC staff in providing health services
• Maintains records of immunization, feeding, and pre-school attendance
• Liaises with block administrator, local school, health staff, and community
• Works for other community-based activities (family planning, etc.)
• Organizes Health Days once/twice a month along with ASHA and ANM
• Administrative structure: Each Supervisor (Mukhya Sevika) is responsible for 20-25 anganwadis

3. MPHW - Multipurpose Health Worker (Male and Female)

Coverage Norms:

A. Health Worker Female (ANM) - Key Duties:

• Registers and provides antenatal care (minimum 4 ANC visits)
• Tests urine for albumin/sugar; estimates Hb
• Conducts/supervises deliveries; refers complicated cases
• Implements JSY; prepares monthly work schedule (meeting on every 3rd Friday)
• Immunization, family planning counseling, health education

B. Health Worker Male - Key Duties:

• Covers communicable disease control (diarrhoea, fevers, TB, leprosy)
• Environmental sanitation (chlorination of water sources)
• Immunization (DPT, OPV, measles, BCG, TT)
• Family planning promotion and distribution of contraceptives
• Identifies and refers malnutrition cases
• Assists Health Assistant Male in school immunization programme

Summary Table