The objective of this paper was to assess if training Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in couples counseling would increase modern family planning uptake among young women in Malawi. In this cluster randomized controlled trial, 30 HSAs from Lilongwe, Malawi received training in family planning. The HSAs were then randomized 1:1 to receive or not receive additional training … [Read more...] about Contraceptive uptake after training community health workers in couples counseling: A cluster randomized trial
CHW Role
Hope and despair: community health assistants’ experiences of working in a rural district in Zambia.
This paper explores the motivation to become a community health assistant (CHA) in Zambia, the experiences of working in a rural district, and how these experiences affected CHAs’ motivation to work. To examine CHAs’ experiences, data was collected through in-depth interviews with 12 CHAs and observations were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Personal … [Read more...] about Hope and despair: community health assistants’ experiences of working in a rural district in Zambia.
Innovation in health service delivery: integrating community health assistants into the health system at district level in Zambia
This paper explores the factors that shaped the acceptability and adoption of community health assistants (CHAs) into the health system at the district level in Zambia. Using thematic analysis, data was collected through a review of documents, 6 focus group discussions with community leaders, and 12 key informant interviews with CHA trainers, supervisors and members of the … [Read more...] about Innovation in health service delivery: integrating community health assistants into the health system at district level in Zambia
Does task shifting yield cost savings and improve efficiency for health systems? A systematic review of evidence from low-income and middle-income countries
Research has demonstrated that task shifting, including the use of CHWs to deliver care, can improve population health. This systematic review examines whether task shifting in LMICs results in efficiency improvements by achieving cost savings. The authors identified 794 articles, and included 34 in the study. They found that substantial evidence exists for achieving cost … [Read more...] about Does task shifting yield cost savings and improve efficiency for health systems? A systematic review of evidence from low-income and middle-income countries
Community health worker perspectives on a new primary health care initiative in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
This study sought to understand CHW perspectives on a new primary health initiative in South Africa called Re-engineering Primary Health Care (rPHC). This initiative aims to provide a preventive and health-promoting community-based PHC model. Focus group discussions and surveys on the knowledge and attitudes of 91 CHWs working on community-based rPHC teams in the King Sabata … [Read more...] about Community health worker perspectives on a new primary health care initiative in the Eastern Cape of South Africa