CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

South Africa

Unintended Consequences of Community Health Worker Programs in South Africa

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Task shifting from clinicians to community health workers (CHWs) in regions of the world where physician to population density is low is a growing strategy among policy makers. This article looks at structural and local factors which lead to unintended consequences of CHW program implementation such as CHWs working simultaneously for multiple organizations, freelancing in … [Read more...] about Unintended Consequences of Community Health Worker Programs in South Africa

Community healthcare worker response to childhood disorders: Inadequacies and needs

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Community health workers (CHWs) are a vital link between health facilities and communities with a high prevalence of childhood disorders. However, there is a dearth of literature which suggests that CHWs are adequately skilled and trained for this task. This study looks at the training needs of CHWs in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. … [Read more...] about Community healthcare worker response to childhood disorders: Inadequacies and needs

A Self-Management Training Intervention: Perceptions and Practices of Community Health Workers in South Africa

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Community health workers (CHWs) are being used increasingly world over as a strategy to improve access to healthcare, particularly in rural communities. However, interventions targeted as improving their skill set and bringing about health behavior change are essential. This article presents findings from systematic, in-depth interviews conducted with CHWs in South Africa to … [Read more...] about A Self-Management Training Intervention: Perceptions and Practices of Community Health Workers in South Africa

Impact of lay health worker programmes on the health outcomes of mother-child pairs of HIV exposed children in Africa: A scoping review

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In countries with a heavy burden of HIV, the demand for healthcare services is often met with a dearth of health workers. This has led to a need for task shifting of lay health workers (LHWs) to improve healthcare delivery. This approach has been particularly successful in the case of maternal and childcare (MCH). This review examines the impact of LHWs in improving health … [Read more...] about Impact of lay health worker programmes on the health outcomes of mother-child pairs of HIV exposed children in Africa: A scoping review

Community health worker-delivered counselling for common mental disorders among chronic disease patients in South Africa: a feasibility study

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This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of two approaches of community health worker (CHW)-delivered mental health counselling for patients with chronic diseases. The ‘designated’ approach involved CHWs providing counselling in addition to their regular duties while the ‘dedicated’ approach involved the CHWs taking sole responsibility of delivering mental health … [Read more...] about Community health worker-delivered counselling for common mental disorders among chronic disease patients in South Africa: a feasibility study