CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

Journal articles

Implementation research on community health workers’ provision of maternal and child health services in rural Liberia

This study conducted in rural Liberia examined changes in maternal and child health after the implementation of an upgraded CHW intervention. Results indicated increased percentages of children receiving care, facility-based delivery, and formal sector care for acute respiratory infection and diarrhea. The percentage of mothers that received antenatal and postnatal care, … [Read more...] about Implementation research on community health workers’ provision of maternal and child health services in rural Liberia

Piloting a participatory, community-based health information system for strengthening community-based health services: findings of a cluster-randomized controlled trial in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone

This operations research study in Sierra Leone observed the impact of a participatory community-based health information system (PCBHIS) approach to community engagement. The study showed improved results on selected CHW performance indicators at intervention sites, but more limited improvements in ward development committee and health management committee capacity. … [Read more...] about Piloting a participatory, community-based health information system for strengthening community-based health services: findings of a cluster-randomized controlled trial in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone

The first mile: community experience of outbreak control during an Ebola outbreak in Luwero District, Uganda

In 2012, Uganda implemented an Ebola outbreak control initiative using community health workers and social mobilization approaches to curb the outbreak. This ethnographic study assessed community perspectives of the ebola control initiative. It found skepticism and distrust among community members about biomedical explanations for Ebola and about community health workers, who … [Read more...] about The first mile: community experience of outbreak control during an Ebola outbreak in Luwero District, Uganda

Lessons Learned from Reinforcing Epidemiologic Surveillance During the 2017 Ebola Outbreak in the Likati District, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo created an Ebola virus disease (EVD) surveillance team in response to new EVD cases in 2017. Early mobilization of a cohort including CHWs led to the successful detection and containment of cases. The authors note several key lessons and recommendations to improve disease outbreak control in rural areas. … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned from Reinforcing Epidemiologic Surveillance During the 2017 Ebola Outbreak in the Likati District, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Community Health Workers and Pandemic Preparedness: Current and Prospective Roles

Gathering insight from the Ebola and Zika pandemics, this article highlights the roles of CHWs in pandemic preparedness. It analyzes how CHWs promote community health before, during, and after a pandemic’s emergence noting their roles in health service delivery, ability to deliver culturally relevant health messages, and motivation to serve their communities. The authors … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers and Pandemic Preparedness: Current and Prospective Roles