CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

Uganda

Performance of community health workers managing malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea under the community case management programme in central Uganda: a cross sectional study

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Lay community health workers (CHWs) have been widely used to provide curative interventions in communities that have traditionally lacked access to health care. Optimal performance of CHWs managing children with malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea in communities is desired if a reduction in childhood morbidity and mortality is to be achieved.  Few studies have … [Read more...] about Performance of community health workers managing malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea under the community case management programme in central Uganda: a cross sectional study

Valuing the work of unpaid community health workers and exploring the incentives to volunteering in rural Africa

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Community health worker (CHW) programmes are currently being scaled-up in sub-Saharan Africa to improve access to healthcare. CHWs are often volunteers; from an economic perspective, this raises considerations whether reliance on an unpaid workforce is sustainable and how to appropriately cost and value the work of CHWs. Both these questions can be informed by an understanding … [Read more...] about Valuing the work of unpaid community health workers and exploring the incentives to volunteering in rural Africa

Engaging community health workers in maternal and newborn care in eastern Uganda

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Community health workers (CHWs) have been employed in a number of low- and middle-income countries as part of primary health care strategies, but the packages vary across and even within countries. The experiences and motivations of a multipurpose CHW in providing maternal and newborn health have not been well described. This study examined the perceptions of community members … [Read more...] about Engaging community health workers in maternal and newborn care in eastern Uganda

Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion

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Community health worker (CHW) programmes have received much attention since the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, with many initiatives established in developing countries. However, CHW programmes often suffer high attrition once the initial enthusiasm of volunteers wanes. In 2002, Uganda began implementing a national CHW programme called the village health teams (VHTs), but their … [Read more...] about Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion

Using a human resource management approach to support community health workers: experiences from five African countries

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Like any other health worker, community health workers (CHWs) need to be supported to ensure that they are able to contribute effectively to health programmes. Management challenges, similar to those of managing any other health worker, relate to improving attraction, retention and performance. Exploratory case studies of CHW programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, … [Read more...] about Using a human resource management approach to support community health workers: experiences from five African countries