The following is a Q&A between Julia Bluestone of Jhpiego and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and Dr. Henry Perry of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on a recently released report examining community health workers’ effectiveness in saving lives and improving health. The post was originally published in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s … [Read more...] about How to save 3.6 million children each year? Invest in community health workers
Asia
Backpacks That Save Lives? You Bet!
Summer is winding down. Store shelves are stocked with notebooks and pencils instead of sunscreen and beach balls. And for most kids, the essential back-to-school purchase is the almighty backpack. If you're going to carry books and lunch to school, you'd better have something durable -- and fashionable! -- strapped on your shoulders. You may be surprised to learn that a … [Read more...] about Backpacks That Save Lives? You Bet!
An interview with Dr. Ram Shrestha:Supporting Community Health Workers- Where do we stand?
As a health professional, whenever I visit a rural village in a low-or middle-income country, several thoughts come to mind. Knowing that the formal health system usually ends at a health center, dispensary, or health post in these rural communities, does everyone in this village have access to health services? How can we ensure that there are enough health workers in nearby … [Read more...] about An interview with Dr. Ram Shrestha:Supporting Community Health Workers- Where do we stand?
‘ Trust and teamwork matter ’ : Community health workers’ experiences in integrated service delivery in India
CHW experiences in Orissa, India go beyond the technical aspects of combining different health systems. Teamwork and building trust with the community were found to be pivotal parts of their practice. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) primary health care ideology conflicts with the narrow indicators of health system performance (over reliance on statistical evidence, … [Read more...] about ‘ Trust and teamwork matter ’ : Community health workers’ experiences in integrated service delivery in India
Community health workers of Afghanistan: a qualitative study of a national program
In 2003 a Basic Package of Health Services was designed to provide services to the rural population in Afghanistan. This descriptive, qualitative study examines the gender breakdown and effectiveness of the CHW workforce. As some of the 20,000 CHWs across the country move up the hierarchy of supervision and training, management and decision making, the ratio of women to man … [Read more...] about Community health workers of Afghanistan: a qualitative study of a national program