Observations, Trends, and the Way Forward
Introduction The 29 case studies in this compendium report a total of 8.4 million community health workers (CHWs) in total for the country programs they document. Even this is a significant underestimate since it does not include CHWs working with NGOs throughout the world nor the many CHWs who are…
Taking Action to Improve Data Alignment with Ministry Partners: Case Study from Togo
Lisez la version française ici. Introduction There are more than 11,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) deployed throughout the country of Togo. This cadre of workers is fragmented, and the roles of CHWs vary by implementing organization. In October, the government of Togo introduced a new plan titled “Roadmap 2025” that…
Strengthening Community Health Worker Programs with CHW AIM
Lisez la version française ici. Health systems the world over have embraced the value of community health workers (CHWs) in extending essential services to the community level, improving health equity and progressing toward universal health coverage. Governments now have an opportunity to institutionalize CHW programs and professionalize this essential cadre…
The BRAC Shasthya Shebika and Shasthya Kormi Community Health Workers in Bangladesh
Background BRAC, or Building Resources Across Communities, was founded in 1972 and is one of the largest non- governmental organizations in the world. It has been a global leader in developing and scaling up community health worker (CHW) programs to serve Bangladesh’s large rural population. More than three decades ago,…
Zimbabwe’s Village Health Worker Program
Background The Village Health Worker (VHW) Program in Zimbabwe was first adopted in 1980 when the country transitioned to primary health care (PHC). VHWs are the first point of contact with the health system and they focus on disease prevention by providing community care at the primary level in rural…