Pashusakhi Model: A Structural and Functional Perspective of Community Animal Health Workers in North-Eastern Part of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The Pashusakhi model is a women-led community-based animal healthcare intervention to provide grass root veterinary service delivery in rural India. The present study conducted in 2025 analysed the structural and functional mechanisms of the Pashusakhi model in the Chitaura block of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh. Analysis of primary data from 20 randomly selected Pashusakhis revealed that they predominantly belong to young to middle-aged women from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, with adequate educational levels and field experience. The structural mechanism of the model was characterized by a community-driven selection process, free skill-based training, provision of standardized Pashusakhi kits, an incentive-based financial structure transitioning to a fee-for-service system, and continuous institutional backstopping through regular reporting and technical supervision. Functionally, Pashusakhis primarily delivered preventive and primary animal healthcare services, including vaccination, deworming, first aid, castration, and livestock management advice, with a strong focus on small ruminants, particularly goats. The study concludes that the Pashusakhi model functions as a complementary mechanism to the public veterinary system and underscores the importance of sustained institutional support for its longterm effectiveness and scalability.