Community health workers (CHWs) are used increasingly in the world to address shortages of health workers and the lack of a pervasive national health system. However, while their role is often described at a policy level, it is not clear how these ideals are instantiated in practice, how best to support this work, or how the work is interpreted by local actors. CHWs are often … [Read more...] about What do community health workers have to say about their work, and how can this inform improved programme design? A case study with CHWs within Kenya
Motivation/incentives
Becoming and remaining community health workers: Perspectives from Ethiopia and Mozambique
Many global health practitioners are currently reaffirming the importance of recruiting and retaining effective community health workers (CHWs) in order to achieve major public health goals. This raises policy-relevant questions about why people become and remain CHWs. This paper addresses these questions, drawing on ethnographic work in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, … [Read more...] about Becoming and remaining community health workers: Perspectives from Ethiopia and Mozambique
Using theory and formative research to design interventions to improve community health worker motivation, retention and performance in Mozambique and Uganda
The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how a behavioural theory, which accounts for the influence of group identification, in combination with data generated from qualitative interviews with CHWs and stakeholders, can be used to inform the design of interventions to improve CHW motivation, retention and performance in two settings—Uganda and Mozambique—with diverse, … [Read more...] about Using theory and formative research to design interventions to improve community health worker motivation, retention and performance in Mozambique and Uganda
Exploring perceptions of community health policy in Kenya and identifying implications for policy change
Background: Global interest and investment in close-to-community health services is increasing. Kenya is currently revising its community health strategy (CHS) alongside political devolution, which will result in revisioning of responsibility for local services. This article aims to explore drivers of policy change from key informant perspectives and to study perceptions of … [Read more...] about Exploring perceptions of community health policy in Kenya and identifying implications for policy change
In Depth Interviews of Health Workers in Sierra Leone
Coherent human resource for health (HRH) policies should be designed to address the challenges faced in recruitment and retention of health workers, particularly in developing countries. In Sierra Leone, there are challenges in providing equitable healthcare for all due in part to the current HRH situation, which includes an unequal distribution of the health workforce between … [Read more...] about In Depth Interviews of Health Workers in Sierra Leone