WHO honours India's one million all-women ASHA volunteers for 'outstanding' work in advancing global health
- In Reports
- 03:52 PM, May 23, 2022
- Myind Staff
India's one million all-women ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist Workers) workers were awarded and honoured by WHO for their 'outstanding' contribution to advancing global health, demonstrated leadership and commitment to regional health issues.
ASHA (which means hope in Hindi) are the more than 1 million female volunteers in India. They were honoured for their crucial role in linking the community with the health system and ensuring those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated all ASHA workers for bagging World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General’s Global Health Leaders’ Award, saying they are at the "forefront of ensuring a healthy India".
PM Modi, who is in Japan’s Tokyo for a two-day visit to attend the Quad summit, took to Twitter to applaud the one million all-women ASHA workforce that has been honoured by the WHO. “Delighted that the entire team of ASHA workers have been conferred the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders’ Award. Congratulations to all ASHA workers. They are at the forefront of ensuring a healthy India. Their dedication and determination is admirable,” the prime minister tweeted.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced six awards to recognise outstanding contributions to advancing global health, demonstrated leadership and commitment to regional health issues.
"The Accredited Social Health Activist Workers (ASHA) are more than 1 million female volunteers in #India, honoured for their crucial role in linking the community with the health system and ensuring that those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services," the WHO said in a tweet.
ASHA (which means hope in Hindi) are the more than 1 million female volunteers in India. They were honoured for their crucial role in linking the community with the health system and ensuring those living in rural poverty can access primary health care services, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASHAs worked to provide maternal care and immunization for children against vaccine-preventable diseases; community health care; treatment for hypertension and tuberculosis; and core areas of health promotion for nutrition, sanitation, and healthy living, said WHO in its official statement.
Praising the ASHA workers, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia said, “ASHAs are true champions of health who help bring primary health care to the doorstep of people. Their work has always been exemplary, especially during the pandemic. I congratulate this one million-plus all-women workforce for this truly deserving recognition.”
The ceremony for the awards, which were established in 2019, was part of the live-streamed high-level opening session of the 75th World Health Assembly.
Image source: ANI
Comments