Africa

Involvement of community health workers in antimicrobial stewardship interventions and programmes: a scoping review

This review looked at how community health workers help promote responsible antibiotic use in several countries across Africa and Asia. The studies showed that CHWs support infection prevention, help identify common illnesses, give health education, and in some cases prescribe antibiotics correctly when allowed. Their work led to better awareness of antibiotic resistance and … [Read more...] about Involvement of community health workers in antimicrobial stewardship interventions and programmes: a scoping review

This study tested a culturally tailored program to raise awareness about cervical cancer among women and male household decision-makers in rural Uganda and Bangladesh. The program used mass media and community health worker outreach. After the intervention, both women and men showed a major increase in knowledge about cervical cancer risks and symptoms. Involving men and … [Read more...] about Effectiveness of Community-Based Culturally Tailored Cervical Cancer Awareness Interventions among Women and Decision-Making Men in Low-Resource Settings: A Pre-Post Design Evaluation

This study tested whether ChatGPT could help frontline health workers in Nigeria give better answers to patient questions. Thirty-six doctors, nurses, and community health workers responded to health questions with and without ChatGPT’s help. Clinicians and patients rated the answers. ChatGPT-assisted responses were more accurate, complete, and empathetic, and people found them … [Read more...] about Evaluating Frontline Health Workers’ Responses to Patient Inquiries With and Without Large Language Model Support in Nigeria: An Observational Study

This study looked at how much community health workers (CHWs) in Benin know about water, hygiene, and sanitation. It found that most CHWs lacked enough knowledge about their roles. Those who received training, got regular supervision, or joined group follow-up sessions were more likely to understand WASH better. The study suggests that improving training, support, and … [Read more...] about Assessing community health workers’ level of knowledge concerning their roles in water, hygiene, and sanitation in Comè-Bopa-Grand Popo-Houéyogbé, Benin

This pilot study in rural Lesotho tested whether community health workers (CHWs) could screen people at home for high blood pressure and diabetes. Ten CHWs visited 687 households and screened over 1,800 people between 2022 and 2023. About one in four had high blood pressure, and one in twenty had diabetes. Almost everyone welcomed the service and appreciated being tested in … [Read more...] about Feasibility and Acceptability of Diabetes and Hypertension Screening and Diagnosis by Community Health Workers in Rural Lesotho: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study