One Health Worker ’s Journey from the Poverty Line to the Front Lines of Care in Rural India

April 04, 2018This week, we ’re featuring stories from frontline health workers all over the world. It’s just one of the ways we’re celebratingWorld Health Worker Week 2018.There ’s nothing typical about Kusumlata Bisht. At 40 years old, she is a frontline health worker who has beaten overwhelming odds to find success.Kusumlata became an accredited social health activist (or ASHA) in 2007. These frontline health workers reach rural communities —and mostly pregnant women, mothers, and children—with preventive health services and information on nutrition, diet, and vaccinations. They are a critical link between rural communities and the formal health system.As part of her work in the verdant mountains of rural Uttarakhand, Kusumlata has already helped 56 pregnant women plan for institutional deliveries, including escorting them to the hospital; provided assistance at nine home deliveries; and even followed up with two people with severe tuberculosis to make sure they were adhering to their treatment properly.Kusumlata comes from a poor family —the government had classified them as living below the poverty line. But she has mustered the courage not only to help rural women live healthier lives, but also to use the income from her role to support her own family.This has brought respect and increased support to the health workers within their families also. Now my whole family is interested in how mSakhi works.In matters of health, Kusumlata is as much a support to h...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news