CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

Program Design

Task sharing in health workforce: An overview of community health worker programmes in Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan

People living in WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region countries rely on CHW programs to receive health support. Rachel Folz and Moazzam Ali examined the available evidence on three CHW programs across Egypt, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to understand how to scale up or develop CHW programs in the region. Results underscore the effectiveness of these initiatives and highlight several … [Read more...] about Task sharing in health workforce: An overview of community health worker programmes in Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan

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

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

The National Village Health Guide Scheme in India: Lessons Four Decades Later for Community Health Worker Programs Today and Tomorrow

National CHW schemes are an increasingly important tool for achieving universal health coverage and ending maternal and child deaths by 2030. This article focuses on critical issues that face the effectiveness of large-scale CHW programs drawing on the experiences of India’s CHW scheme –the Village Health Guides. … [Read more...] about The National Village Health Guide Scheme in India: Lessons Four Decades Later for Community Health Worker Programs Today and Tomorrow

Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM): Updated Program Functionality Matrix for Optimizing Community Health Programs

To support quality CHW program design and implementation, USAID, UNICEF, the Community Health Impact Coalition, and Initiatives Inc. have updated and adapted the Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM) Program Functionality Matrix tool. This tool can be applied at district, regional, and national levels to identify and close gaps in design and … [Read more...] about Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM): Updated Program Functionality Matrix for Optimizing Community Health Programs