Although community health workers (CHWs) are widely valued as crucial members of the healthcare workforce, funding for CHWs and CHW programs continues to be inadequate. This commentary argues that to increase funding for CHWs and CHW programs, governments can build infrastructure for community health systems that are community-centered through policy prioritization and … [Read more...] about Mind the Global Community Health Funding Gap
Community Health Workers/Volunteers
Optimising geographical accessibility to primary health care: a geospatial analysis of community health posts and community health workers in Niger
Researchers used complete georeferenced census and other high-resolution spatial datasets to compare proximity of community health posts and CHWs in Niger in 2000 and 2013. Through modeling, they estimated that CHWs increased access to and geographical coverage of healthcare. The results highlight the utility of CHWs in increasing access to primary healthcare in low-resource … [Read more...] about Optimising geographical accessibility to primary health care: a geospatial analysis of community health posts and community health workers in Niger
Improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes through a community-based women’s health education program: a cluster randomised controlled trial in western Kenya
Chamas for Change, a community health volunteer group, provides health education for pregnant and postpartum women in Kenya. Researchers conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 74 community health units in Trans Nzoia County to understand the effectiveness of this model of health education on maternal, newborn, and child health. They found that Chamas for … [Read more...] about Improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes through a community-based women’s health education program: a cluster randomised controlled trial in western Kenya
COVID-19 and health promotion in Brazil: community health workers between vulnerability and resistance
Although community health workers are key members of the healthcare workforce in Brazil, many are women who face poor working conditions. Researchers investigated the ways in which COVID-19 enhanced the existing poor working conditions and created new ones for the CHW workforce in Brazil. The authors found that CHWs were expected to provide care without the proper personal … [Read more...] about COVID-19 and health promotion in Brazil: community health workers between vulnerability and resistance
Community health worker case-detection of asthma or reactive airways disease in a resource-poor community in Nicaragua
Early detection of asthma in children has the great potential to reduce morbidity and mortality in children. Researchers conducted a study in a low-income community of Nicaragua to understand the effectiveness of a community health worker-administered questionnaire in detecting childhood asthma. They found that the questionnaire was an effective screening tool and suggest its … [Read more...] about Community health worker case-detection of asthma or reactive airways disease in a resource-poor community in Nicaragua