a) Selection: We need better selection criteria for FLWs, which go beyond their education and age. Given the nature of their work, it’s important to ensure some basic skills during recruitment, such as the ability to talk to people, the propensity to learn, and so on. b) Training: Many of FLWs’ challenges can be solved by effective and structured training. AWWs and ASHAs don’t have a health background, making it even more important to equip them to carry out their duties. We need greater investment in both pre-service and in-service training. c) Supportive supervision: While training is important, FLWs also need supportive supervision till the time they’re confident in their skills. Though ANMs are supposed to supervise ASHAs, in practice this remains limited largely to ANMs visiting on the Village Health and Nutrition Day. d) Motivation: An important way to improve the FLW system is to provide the right encouragement. For ASHAs, there has been an ongoing debate around whether a fixed honorarium might be more effective than incentives. But even with incentives, there are often delays in payment, which affects motivation levels. FLWs do very essential and hard work for the health of our people, and more respect, appreciation, and community recognition might go a long way in improving the system for them and the people they serve. FLWs do very essential and hard work for the health of our people, and more respect, appreciation, and community recognition might go a long way in improving the system for them and the people they serve.