In African countries including Kenya, contraceptive use, fertility rates and other reproductive health indicators in rural areas lag behind urban areas. Even though Kenya's fertility rate declined from 8.1 in 1978 to 4.6 in 2008, the figures are much higher in rural areas, 5.2 compared to an urban rate of 2.9. The persistent high fertility rate has been attributed to many … [Read more...] about Women’s attitudes toward receiving family planning services from community health workers in rural Western Kenya
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Task-shifting and prioritization: a situational analysis examining the role and experiences of community health workers in Malawi
As low- and middle-income countries face continued shortages of human resources for health and the double burden of infectious and chronic diseases, there is renewed international interest in the potential for community health workers to assume a growing role in strengthening health systems. A growing list of tasks, some of them complex, is being shifted to community health … [Read more...] about Task-shifting and prioritization: a situational analysis examining the role and experiences of community health workers in Malawi
Assessment of the quality of antenatal care services provided by health workers using a mobile phone decision support application in northern Nigeria: A pre/post-intervention study
Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio is the tenth highest in the world, with an estimated 630 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and 40,000 maternal deaths annually. There is now a critical need to support Nigeria’s efforts to make significant progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal 5 target of reducing maternal mortality by 2015 through the government’s … [Read more...] about Assessment of the quality of antenatal care services provided by health workers using a mobile phone decision support application in northern Nigeria: A pre/post-intervention study
Establishing Village Health Clubs to improve community health worker motivation and performance
Malaria Consortium’s inSCALE project has been working in Uganda to help scale up quality integrated community case management programmes to improve child health. This Learning Paper details the process of establishing Village Health Clubs with the aim of improving the motivation and performance of community health workers – known as village health team members (VHTs) in … [Read more...] about Establishing Village Health Clubs to improve community health worker motivation and performance
Integrating mental health and HIV services in Zimbabwean communities: A nurse and community-led approach reach the most vulnerable
Globally, mental health disorders, including harmful alcohol and substance use, are the leading causes of years lost to disability, accounting for up to 189 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Depression accounts for up to 50% of disability-adjusted life years caused by mental health disorders, while alcohol and substance use accounts for up to 10%. It is estimated … [Read more...] about Integrating mental health and HIV services in Zimbabwean communities: A nurse and community-led approach reach the most vulnerable