Elevating Country Voices
Hear from the frontlines of community health. Find stories and interviews of community health workers and community health program managers that will deepen understanding of their crucial function delivering lifesaving care to communities.
A Community Health Worker Who Never Gives Up: Caren’s Journey with a Young Widow in Makueni
In Kosya village in Makueni County, Community Health Worker Caren Nduge begins her morning with a home she has been especially eager to visit. Caren is responsible for supporting 80 families across her village One of the families Caren has been supporting is that of Evelyne Mueni, a 23-year-old mother of two. Evelyne’s life changed tragically when she lost her husband—the family’s sole breadwinner—in a motorcycle accident. Left to care for her children alone, Evelyne faced overwhelming challenges. Baby Evans had been marked as malnourished. He was severely underweight and at high risk of stunting. Makueni is classified as an…
The Day a Home Visit Saved a Life
In Kathonzweni village, 83-year-old Savethi Mawleu is known for her warm smile, easy laughter, and generous spirit. A mother and grandmother, she lives with one of her children who is battling cancer, while most of her family works in Nairobi. Despite her age and responsibilities, Savethi remains strong and remarkably resilient. That resilience was tested when Community Health Promoter (CHP) Christine Saina carried out routine household screenings. During her visit, Christine noticed that Savethi’s blood pressure was unusually high and referred her to a local health facility for further assessment. There, facility nurse Marietta Mbithe and Community Health Officer Elizabeth…
Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) Helped Contain Zambia’s Worst-Ever Cholera Outbreak
Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, with a population exceeding 1.74 million, has experienced rapid urban growth fueled by rural-to-urban migration. This expansion has led to the emergence of informal settlements such as Kanyama, where poor sanitation and limited access to clean water create ideal conditions for waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery — particularly during the rainy season. Zambia’s worst Cholera Outbreak in 2023/2024 In October 2023, the Zambia National Public Health Institute reported a cholera outbreak that initially emerged in Kanyama, one of Lusaka’s most densely populated and vulnerable townships. Within weeks, the disease spread rapidly across Lusaka and eventually…
From Our Partners
Why counties must invest in community health services
Africa Frontline First is an initiative to fund community health programs in sub-Saharan Africa. While this initiative aims to deploy 200,000 professional CHWs by 2030, existing community health volunteers lack essential resources and financial incentives. In this piece, two CHVs from Kenya discuss why county governments must invest in community health services.
–> read more at Nation Africa
How health workers are leading Africa’s COVID-19 response
Community health workers have long responded to disease outbreaks while maintaining lifesaving services. In this September 2021 opinion piece, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s president from 2006 to 2018, and Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, share their thoughts on investments that should be prioritized to end the COVID-19 pandemic and realize health for all.
–> read more at Devex
COVID-19 highlights the need for community health
Over recent years, the world has faced two Ebola outbreaks, the constant threat of pandemic influenza, and now the global spread of novel coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic. In developing countries, these threats risk exacerbating existing high burdens of communicable diseases associated with millions of preventable deaths. Community health is essential for pandemic preparedness (prevention, surveillance, response) and remains essential for achieving the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals. The global scale and impact of the current pandemic demonstrates that this cuts across geographies, levels of income, and types of health systems.
–> read more at Think Global Health