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Performance of accredited social health activists to provide home-based newborn care: A situational analysis

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Abstract

Objective

To assess Accredited social health activists’ (ASHAs) ability to recognize illness in infants aged less than 2 months.

Methods

Investigators observed 25 ASHAs conducting 47 visits.

Results

ASHA-investigator agreement on the need to further assess infants was intermediate (kappa 0.48, P<0.001). Using IMNCI’s color codes, ASHAs misclassified 80% of infants. ASHAs did not follow home-based newborn care formats and skipped critical signs. Overall ASHA-investigator agreement on diagnosis was poor (kappa=0.23, P=0.01).

Conclusion

There is a need for improved training, tools, and supportive supervision.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Manthan Project, Intra Health International, New Delhi, India

    Emily Das, Dharmendra Singh Panwar, Elizabeth A. Fischer, Girdhari Bora & Martha C. Carlough

  2. D-503, Indra Prastha Estate, Opposite IT College, 2-3 Faizabad Road, Lucknow, 226 007, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Emily Das

Authors
  1. Emily Das
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  2. Dharmendra Singh Panwar
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  3. Elizabeth A. Fischer
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  4. Girdhari Bora
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  5. Martha C. Carlough
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emily Das.

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Das, E., Panwar, D.S., Fischer, E.A. et al. Performance of accredited social health activists to provide home-based newborn care: A situational analysis. Indian Pediatr 51, 142–144 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-014-0349-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-014-0349-4

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