Cape Town, South Africa, September 29, 2014 – A new report finds that developing nations’ ability to deal with pressing health challenges like HIV/AIDS and ensuring maternal and newborn survival will be strengthened by creating a common definition for community health workers, as well as a core set of skills and competencies that would help ensure they are optimally trained, … [Read more...] about Improved Data on Community Health Workers Critical to Achieving Global Health Goals
HIV and AIDS
The provision of TB and HIV/AIDS treatment support by lay health workers in South Africa: a time-and-motion study
Lay or community health workers (LHWs) are an important human resource in primary health care, and contribute to improving access to care. However, optimal use of LHWs within the health system is often hampered by a poor understanding of how this cadre organizes its work. This study aimed to better understand how LHWs organize and structure their time in providing treatment and … [Read more...] about The provision of TB and HIV/AIDS treatment support by lay health workers in South Africa: a time-and-motion study
Assessment of the uptake of neonatal and young infant referrals by community health workers to public health facilities in an urban informal settlement, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Globally, 40% of the 7.6 million deaths of children under five every year occur in the neonatal period (first 28 days after birth). Increased and earlier recognition of illness facilitated by community health workers (CHWs), coupled with effective referral systems can result in better child health outcomes. This model has not been tested in a peri-urban poor setting in Africa, … [Read more...] about Assessment of the uptake of neonatal and young infant referrals by community health workers to public health facilities in an urban informal settlement, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
The Tingathe programme: a pilot intervention using community health workers to create a continuum of care in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) cascade of services in Malawi.
Loss to follow-up is a major challenge in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme in Malawi with reported loss to follow-up of greater than 70%. Tingathe-PMTCT is a pilot intervention that utilizes dedicated community health workers (CHWs) to create a complete continuum of care within the PMTCT cascade, improving service utilization and retention … [Read more...] about The Tingathe programme: a pilot intervention using community health workers to create a continuum of care in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) cascade of services in Malawi.