The World Health Organization’s End TB strategy seeks to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by at least 80% by the year 2030, but underreporting and underdiagnosis prevents an accurate assessment of progression toward this goal. Tushar Garg and colleagues assessed whether CHWs could be an effective means for identifying and referring presumptive TB cases to receive treatment. … [Read more...] about Prediagnostic loss to follow-up in an active case finding tuberculosis programme: a mixed-methods study from rural Bihar, India
India
Effectiveness of a community health worker (CHW) training in monitoring and care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in rural Gujarat, India
CHWs in rural primary care settings can contribute to reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They are especially valuable in countries like India, where COPD is the second leading cause of disease and is responsible for the deaths of as many as one million residents annually. Gupta and colleagues assessed the … [Read more...] about Effectiveness of a community health worker (CHW) training in monitoring and care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in rural Gujarat, India
Unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications: cross-sectional analysis of data from rural Uttar Pradesh, India
Indian women represent one in every seven of the 85 million women who experience unintended pregnancy each year. This high concentration is likely due to limited engagement with the local health system and puts women at risk of maternal health complications like pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, and postpartum pre-eclampsia. Nabamllika Dehingia and colleagues assessed … [Read more...] about Unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications: cross-sectional analysis of data from rural Uttar Pradesh, India
Effectiveness of a scalable group-based education and monitoring program, delivered by health workers, to improve control of hypertension in rural India: A cluster randomised controlled trial.
Low- and middle-income countries experience high cases of preventable diseases like hypertension, in part due to a limited supply of trained physicians. Dilan Gamage and his colleagues examined whether CHWs could help improve hypertension management in rural India. CHW training in hypertension management enabled an additional 20% of participants to obtain blood pressure … [Read more...] about Effectiveness of a scalable group-based education and monitoring program, delivered by health workers, to improve control of hypertension in rural India: A cluster randomised controlled trial.
Community Health Workers as Influential Health System Actors and not “Just Another Pair Of Hands”
CHWs across the world have mixed status, with some feeling appreciated as important contributors to their community and others feeling used and undervalued by more advanced health professionals. Sumit Kane and his colleagues surveyed CHWs in India to better understand their lived experiences. Many CHWs described initially feeling as if they were a powerless tool, but these … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers as Influential Health System Actors and not “Just Another Pair Of Hands”