This trial sought to determine if misoprostol is safe and efficacious in preventing postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) when administered by trained birth attendants (TBAs) at home deliveries. The authors found that the administration of misoprostol by trained TBAs at home deliveries reduced the rate of PPH by 24%. The authors note that continued training and skill building for TBAs, … [Read more...] about Administration of misoprostol by trained traditional birth attendants to prevent postpartum haemorrhage in homebirths in Pakistan: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
Journal articles
Primary Health Care for Remote Village Communities in Honduras: A Model for Training and Support of Community Health Workers
This article presents a model for the development of sustainable primary health care in village communities in Honduras through the training and support of CHWs. The model, piloted in Comayagua, follows a "bottom-up" approach. A training curriculum for CHWs was developed that addressed the area's predominant health problems and made use of "Where there is no doctor" Training, a … [Read more...] about Primary Health Care for Remote Village Communities in Honduras: A Model for Training and Support of Community Health Workers
Community case management in Nicaragua: lessons in fostering adoption and expanding implementation
This article looks at the policy landscape and processes that led to the implementation of a community case management (CCM) for child survival program in Nicaragua. The authors review both the contextual factors that facilitated CCM as well as the challenges, and conclude that continuous monitoring is essential for both sustainability and scale up. … [Read more...] about Community case management in Nicaragua: lessons in fostering adoption and expanding implementation
Iranian health houses open the door to primary care
This article reviews Iran’s “Health Houses,” which were conceived and introduced during the country’s 1980-1988 war with Iraq. The health houses are run by trained CHWs, called behvarzan, who provide basic health care to most of the country's rural population. Female behvarz are typically responsible for child and maternal health, vaccinations, registration and administering … [Read more...] about Iranian health houses open the door to primary care
Thailand’s unsung heroes
This article reports on the important contributions of community health volunteers in the success of primary health care in Thailand. More than 800,000 health volunteers, including Buddhist monks and their temples, work to promote primary health care and health promotion across the country. … [Read more...] about Thailand’s unsung heroes