The HSG Hub is a product of the partnership between CHW Central and the Health Systems Global Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Supporting and Strengthening the Role of Community Health Workers in Health System Development.
To support the generation, synthesis and communication of evidence on the roll out and functioning of community health worker programs and to enable learning across geographical and political contexts
CHWs Optimization in Protracted Humanitarian Conflict; Northwest Syria as an example
In light of the projected global shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, community health programs have been receiving increasing attention as a potential approach to contribute to achieving Universal Health Care. Most of the available evidence comes from LMICs and relatively less from humanitarian settings. Evidence is even scarcer from settings where no government bodies exist. The governance element of CHW programs is a critical one as it defines the extent to which CHWs are integrated, monitored, and scaled up in a given context. Similar in many ways to CHWs in other conflict settings, CHWs in Syria are a product of the context in which they operate. The Syrian conflict, a prolonged humanitarian crisis, has displaced more than half of the population. Like other conflicts, this war has hardened the non-government-controlled areas’ health systems. Fifty percent of health facilities were destroyed, and 70% of healthcare providers fled the country. Consequently, the workload and mental and physical pressure took a toll on the remaining health professionals. The said conditions have confronted accessibility, equity, service continuity and utilization of health services. The paper titled “A framework for community health worker optimization in conflict settings: prerequisites and possibilities from Northwest Syria”…
Investing in Community Health Workers: Lessons Learned from the 3rd International CHW Symposium
“One of the primary themes that emerged from the symposium was the importance of quality of care over coverage.” The 3rd International Community Health Workers (CHW) Symposium was held in Monrovia, Liberia from March 20-24, 2023, under the theme “Advancing Community Health Worker Programs to Build Resilient and Reputable Health Systems that Would Accelerate Primary Health Care for Universal Health Coverage.” It brought together over 700 participants from over 46 countries including CHWs, policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and advocates to share experiences, learn from each other, and strategize about what steps can be taken to improve the performance and impact of community health workers. One of the primary themes that emerged from the symposium was the importance of quality of care over coverage. This sentiment was echoed by CHW participants and is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence, with studies showing that quality of care is crucial for improving health outcomes. Improving the quality of primary healthcare services could save millions of lives globally, making CHW programs that prioritize quality of care over quantity of services provided more likely to be successful in improving health outcomes. Inadequate funding at every level was identified as a major challenge facing CHW…
HSG Hub Resources
Announcing a special collection of articles on community health workers
Task shifting and community engagement as the keys to increasing access to modern contraception: Findings from mixed methods operational research in coastal Kenya
This study examined the effect of the Riziki Demonstration Project on contraceptive service provision and identified drivers of the intervention’s success in increasing public sector contraceptive uptake. Findings demonstrate the…
Community Health Workers as Vaccinators: A Rapid Review of the Global Landscape, 2000-2021
This rapid review of scanned peer reviewed literature from 3 databases, gray literature identified through web searches, and resources suggested by CHW subject matter experts. It identifies countries where CHWs…
Principles for task shifting hypertension and diabetes screening and referral: a qualitative study exploring patient, community health worker and healthcare professional perceptions in rural Uganda.
The purpose of this study was to explore task shifting screening and referrals for diabetes and hypertension from facility-based healthcare workers to CHWs in Uganda. The study investigated perceptions of…
Incidence of HIV disclosure among HIV affected heterosexual partners using a community health worker led mechanism in rural Uganda; a quasi-experimental study.
This study compared incidence of sexual partner disclosure among adults living with HIV with CHW support and those without CHW support in Uganda. The quasi-experimental study consisted of a CHW-led…
A peer group intervention implemented by community volunteers increased HIV prevention knowledge
This implementation study tested whether the Mzake ndi Mzake (Friend-to-Friend; hereafter Mzake) intervention remained effective when implemented by trained community volunteers in Malawi. The Mzake program is a 6-session, peer…
Understanding California’s Community Health Worker/Promotor Workforce: CHW/P Training Programs
The purpose of this article was to describe Community Health Worker/Promoter education and training programs in California, including details about program location(s), delivery mode, length, and other characteristics. Programs were…
