Because there aren’t enough healthcare workers, more Community Health Workers (CHWs) are being trained to help meet health needs. During health emergencies like COVID-19, CHWs played a key role in helping communities, despite many challenges. This study interviewed 13 CHWs in Makassar City to understand what motivates them and what challenges they face. It found that their … [Read more...] about Field Dynamics Faced by Community Health Workers During a Public Health Crisis: A Qualitative Study of Motivations and Challenges
Asia
Integrating community health workers to sustain malaria services in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Findings from implementer case studies
In the Greater Mekong Subregion, community health workers (CHWs) have played a key role in fighting malaria. As malaria cases go down, their role is changing. This study looked at how their work is being expanded to include other health services. Interviews with program leaders from eight countries showed that adding new tasks for CHWs can happen in different ways, depending on … [Read more...] about Integrating community health workers to sustain malaria services in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Findings from implementer case studies
A Train-the-Trainer Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program for Pediatric Pneumonia in a Low-Resource Setting
This study tested a training program in Pakistan to teach community health workers (CHWs) how to use lung ultrasound to diagnose pneumonia in children. Experts from Canada trained both experienced local health workers (local champions) and CHWs with no prior ultrasound experience. The trained CHWs and champions then scanned children with suspected pneumonia, and their results … [Read more...] about A Train-the-Trainer Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program for Pediatric Pneumonia in a Low-Resource Setting
Patterns of care-seeking for postpartum symptoms in urban Karachi, Pakistan: implications for intervention design
This study looked at why women in semi-urban Karachi, Pakistan, often delay getting proper care for postpartum (PP) sepsis, a serious health risk after childbirth. Interviews with women, family members, birth attendants, and health workers showed that many women don’t recognize the danger signs, rely on others to make health decisions, and often seek help from untrained … [Read more...] about Patterns of care-seeking for postpartum symptoms in urban Karachi, Pakistan: implications for intervention design
Community Health Workers Equipped with an mHealth Application Can Accurately Diagnose Hypertension in Rural Guatemala
In rural Guatemala, a study tested whether community health workers (CHWs) using a mobile app could accurately diagnose high blood pressure (hypertension). CHWs assessed patients alongside doctors, and their results were very similar. The CHWs identified hypertension nearly as accurately as physicians, with over 90% agreement. This suggests that with the help of mobile tools, … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers Equipped with an mHealth Application Can Accurately Diagnose Hypertension in Rural Guatemala