This study explored how community health workers (CHWs) in Malawi were trained to better support adolescent mothers. After attending workshops, the CHWs became more open and supportive, moving away from judgmental attitudes. The training helped them deliver life skills sessions in a more gender-responsive way, showing that such programs can improve support for young mothers. … [Read more...] about Empowering community health workers in Malawi to deliver gender responsive life skills training for adolescent mothers to overcome social exclusion
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Assessing the gap between policy and practice: community health workers’ contributions to nutrition services in Sub-Saharan Africa
This study looked at whether community health workers (CHWs) in six African countries are providing the nutrition services outlined in national policies. Interviews with 735 CHWs and a review of policy documents showed gaps between what CHWs are supposed to do and what they actually deliver. While most CHWs provided child-focused services like Vitamin A, deworming, and … [Read more...] about Assessing the gap between policy and practice: community health workers’ contributions to nutrition services in Sub-Saharan Africa
Effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and antenatal care attendance among pregnant women in Eastern Uganda
This study tested whether training Village Health Teams (VHTs) in Eastern Uganda to give tailored education to pregnant women could improve maternal health outcomes. Over six months, VHTs visited women at home to provide guidance. After the program, women showed much better knowledge about maternal and child health, more positive attitudes toward antenatal care, and a big … [Read more...] about Effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and antenatal care attendance among pregnant women in Eastern Uganda
Community health workers identify children requiring health center admission in Northern Uganda: prehospital risk prediction using vital signs and advanced point-of-care tests
This study tested if community health workers could use simple tools to identify seriously sick children before they reached a health center. Involving 636 children, it found that checking vital signs was better at predicting which kids needed admission than using danger signs or a special blood test (CRP). The results show it's possible for health workers in low-resource areas … [Read more...] about Community health workers identify children requiring health center admission in Northern Uganda: prehospital risk prediction using vital signs and advanced point-of-care tests
Return to care of children and adolescents living with HIV who missed their clinic visits or were lost to follow-up: a continuous quality improvement study in Uganda
A rural health facility in eastern Uganda used a step-by-step quality improvement approach to help children and teens living with HIV return to care after missing clinic visits. They started by calling those who missed appointments, then reviewed records weekly, and later involved community health workers to follow up. These efforts raised the return-to-care rate from 35% to … [Read more...] about Return to care of children and adolescents living with HIV who missed their clinic visits or were lost to follow-up: a continuous quality improvement study in Uganda