Mon Apr 21 14:10:29 UTC 2025: ## Hyderabad Study Reveals Overburdened Healthcare Workers Amidst Rising Women’s Health Issues

**Hyderabad, April 21, 2025** – A recent community health survey conducted by the Hyderabad-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation (HHF) has revealed a significant increase in reproductive and non-communicable health problems among women in the city’s urban slums. The study highlights the critical, yet overburdened, role of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in addressing these issues.

The survey, screening over 22,000 women, found alarmingly high rates of irregular menstruation (40%), with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affecting 40% of adolescent girls and nearly 50% of adult women. Anaemia was also prevalent, impacting 22% of adolescent girls and 45% of pregnant women. Furthermore, the study revealed significant rates of pregnancy-related complications, including pregnancy-induced hypertension (15%), gestational diabetes (11%), and postpartum hypertension (24%), depression (20%), and persistent physical discomfort (43%).

Mujtaba Hasan Askari, founder of HHF, emphasized the strain on ASHA workers, stating, “With the surge in complex health conditions, ASHA workers are increasingly stretched thin.” He highlighted that these workers are responsible for a wide range of services, from antenatal care to monitoring non-communicable diseases, often acting as the primary point of healthcare contact in underserved areas. Telangana has nearly 30,000 ASHAs, with approximately 2,500 serving in Hyderabad.

Experts suggest that investing in ASHA worker capacity building is crucial, given the largely preventable nature of many of these health issues. HHF recommends improvements such as introducing AI-based health tools, enhanced training in reproductive health counselling, and better pay and working conditions for ASHAs. The findings underscore the urgent need for improved healthcare resources and support for community health workers in addressing the growing health challenges faced by women in Hyderabad’s urban slums.

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