CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Assessing community health worker service delivery in humanitarian settings

Humanitarian emergencies prompt a crucial need for services and resources, especially for populations that don’t live within easy access to health facilities. There has been a renewed interest in CHWs and their ability to deliver services, such as routine exams and emergency responses, during humanitarian crises. However, the authors found a gap in the evidence assessing … [Read more...] about Assessing community health worker service delivery in humanitarian settings

Global and Local Community Health Workers as a lifeline for communities facing inequities in the midst of COVID-19 and beyond

This white paper focuses on the importance of CHWs in addressing health inequities and the needs of marginalized populations in the face of COVID-19. The authors offer an historical perspective and emphasize the importance of CHWs multifaceted role in addressing vulnerable populations’ myriad needs. They argue that CHWs have the potential to inspire hope and improve community … [Read more...] about Global and Local Community Health Workers as a lifeline for communities facing inequities in the midst of COVID-19 and beyond

Using mobile phones to improve community health workers performance in low-and-middle-income countries

The authors of this study stress the importance of mHealth to enhance the impact of CHW’ work in LMICs. They emphasize the importance of mobile phones for data collection, provider communication, and monitoring. They also point out that obstacles, such as a lack of mHealth training and internet service, can hinder the effective use and rollout of mhealth solutions and argue for … [Read more...] about Using mobile phones to improve community health workers performance in low-and-middle-income countries

Bringing severe acute malnutrition treatment close to households through community health workers can lead to early admissions and improved discharge outcomes

Researchers in Mali aimed to determine whether CHWs delivering Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) care would promote early case identification compared to outpatient treatment at health facilities (HFs). The results indicated that CHWs diagnosed and treated more infectious disease cases. Additionally, CHWs administering SAM treatment resulted in earlier admissions, more integrated … [Read more...] about Bringing severe acute malnutrition treatment close to households through community health workers can lead to early admissions and improved discharge outcomes

Evaluating community health worker education policy through a National Certificate (Vocational) Primary Health qualification lens

South Africa’s National Department of Health (NDoH) intended to determine whether the National Certificate (Vocational), or NC(V), for CHWs met the qualifications set forth by the NDoH and World Health Organization (WHO) for CHW programme optimization. Using qualitative data collection, the researchers found that the NC(V) met the NDoH and WHO guidelines when offered part-time. … [Read more...] about Evaluating community health worker education policy through a National Certificate (Vocational) Primary Health qualification lens