Frontline Workers

Anganwadi centres (AWCs) play a key role in fulfilling nutritional needs of children from the vulnerable sections of society. The centres also cater to maternal and adolescent nutrition and early childhood education. The newly launched multi-ministerial National Nutrition Mission or Poshan Abhiyaan focuses on improving the quality of anganwadi services to reduce malnutrition. The lockdown introduced after the COVID-19 outbreak made the work of anganwadi workers (AWWs) and anganwadi helpers (AWHs) difficult as they were involved in ensuring delivery of health and nutrition services at the doorstep, when the anganwadi centres were shut for its beneficiaries. They were tasked with new responsibilities and at the same time, it became difficult for them to perform their regular functions.

In the period from 1st May 2020 to 20th May 2020, we conducted 69 telephonic interviews across 69 blocks of six districts. Interviews were done in rural areas of 64 blocks across five districts and five interviews were done in blocks of urban areas of Surat district.

India’s health care system is at the most crucial front in the fight against COVID-19. At the center of our healthcare system stands an invisible force of almost a million women formally known as ASHAs. ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) acts as the “interface between the community and the public health system”, whose primary role is to mobilise the community, facilitate them in accessing health related services and promote good health practices.

We conducted 63 telephonic interviews across 63 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) situated in three districts of Gujarat between 6th June 2020 to 6th July 2020.

In the pandemic situation, the role of Sarpanch became crucial in coordinating and ensuring the delivery of basic services (like provision of food and other essential items, health services), creating awareness, controlling the spread of COVID-19, the imposition of lockdown, etc.