Community health workers (CHWs) can play important roles in primary health care delivery, particularly in settings of health workforce shortages. However, little is known about CHWs’ perceptions of barriers and motivations, as well as those of the beneficiaries of CHWs. In Rwanda, which faces a significant gap in human resources for health, the Ministry of Health … [Read more...] about Rwanda’s evolving community health worker system: a qualitative assessment of client and provider perspectives
Community Involvement
Experiences engaging community health workers to provide maternal and newborn health services: Implementation of four programs
A paucity of skilled health providers is a considerable impediment to reducing maternal, infant, and under-five mortality for many low-resource countries. Although evidence supports the effectiveness of community health workers (CHWs) in delivering primary healthcare services, shifting tasks to this cadre from providers with advanced training has been pursued with overall … [Read more...] about Experiences engaging community health workers to provide maternal and newborn health services: Implementation of four programs
Addressing Chronic Disease through Community Health Workers: A policy and systems-level approach
This document provides guidance and resources for implementing recommendations to integrate community health workers (CHWs) into community-based efforts to prevent chronic disease. After providing general information on CHWs in the United States, this document sets forth evidence demonstrating the value and impact of CHWs in preventing and managing a variety of chronic … [Read more...] about Addressing Chronic Disease through Community Health Workers: A policy and systems-level approach
A framework for integrating childhood tuberculosis into community-based child health care
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 500,000 children each year are diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and 64,000 HIV-negative children die annually due to TB. The true burden of childhood TB is unknown; children are often undiagnosed and therefore do not receive appropriate care. Childhood TB is often seen with other common childhood illnesses such as … [Read more...] about A framework for integrating childhood tuberculosis into community-based child health care
Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion
Community health worker (CHW) programmes have received much attention since the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, with many initiatives established in developing countries. However, CHW programmes often suffer high attrition once the initial enthusiasm of volunteers wanes. In 2002, Uganda began implementing a national CHW programme called the village health teams (VHTs), but their … [Read more...] about Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion

