In Malawi, where the majority of the population resides in rural areas, community health workers (CHWs) are the first, and often only, providers of health services. An assessment of health information needs, however, found that these frontline workers often lacked essential health information. A pilot project, implemented in 2 rural districts of Malawi between 2010 and 2011, … [Read more...] about Taking knowledge for health the extra mile: participatory evaluation of a mobile phone intervention for community health workers in Malawi
Community Health Workers/Volunteers
A Commitment to Community Health Workers: Improving Data for Decision Making
In a new policy report, the Frontline Health Workers Coalition and partners call for human resources for health (HRH) stakeholders to create a common definition for the “community health worker” along with an agreed-upon set of core tasks and competencies, using the International Labour Organization definition as a guiding framework. To enhance the quality and … [Read more...] about A Commitment to Community Health Workers: Improving Data for Decision Making
Learning to Pay the Price: The Need for Remuneration of Frontline Health Workers
This blog originally appeared Maternal Health Task Force blog page. In many parts of rural sub-Saharan Africa, clinics and hospitals are few and far between. A recent report by Save the Children estimates that every day approximately 22,000 children die before they reach their fifth birthday. This fact is augmented by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) … [Read more...] about Learning to Pay the Price: The Need for Remuneration of Frontline Health Workers
Improving Maternal and Newborn Health: Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker Program in Rural Kenya
Volunteer community health workers (CHWs) form an important element of many health systems, and in Kenya these volunteers are the foundation for promoting behavior change through health education, earlier case identification, and timely referral to trained health care providers. This study examines the effectiveness of a community health worker project conducted in rural … [Read more...] about Improving Maternal and Newborn Health: Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker Program in Rural Kenya
National Community Health Worker Advocacy Survey Report
The 2014 National Community Health Worker Advocacy Survey (NCHWAS) is the largest on-line survey of Community Health Workers ever conducted. NCHWAS aims to describe (1) the state of CHWs as a professional field and (2) the impact of CHW community advocacy on community engagement to address health disparities. Although Community Health Workers or CHWs go by a variety of titles … [Read more...] about National Community Health Worker Advocacy Survey Report