Community health workers (CHWs) are used increasingly in the world to address shortages of health workers and the lack of a pervasive national health system. However, while their role is often described at a policy level, it is not clear how these ideals are instantiated in practice, how best to support this work, or how the work is interpreted by local actors. CHWs are often … [Read more...] about What do community health workers have to say about their work, and how can this inform improved programme design? A case study with CHWs within Kenya
Performance-based incentives
Using theory and formative research to design interventions to improve community health worker motivation, retention and performance in Mozambique and Uganda
The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how a behavioural theory, which accounts for the influence of group identification, in combination with data generated from qualitative interviews with CHWs and stakeholders, can be used to inform the design of interventions to improve CHW motivation, retention and performance in two settings—Uganda and Mozambique—with diverse, … [Read more...] about Using theory and formative research to design interventions to improve community health worker motivation, retention and performance in Mozambique and Uganda
Remuneration for Community Health Workers: Recommendations to the World Health Organization
The question of remuneration for community health workers (CHWs) in low--‐income countries remains contentious. Programs use a variety of monetary and non--‐monetary incentives to motivate CHWs. The most successful programs, however, pay their workers, and there is little evidence to suggest that volunteerism in low--‐income countries is sustainable over the long … [Read more...] about Remuneration for Community Health Workers: Recommendations to the World Health Organization
Community case management of malaria: exploring support, capacity and motivation of community medicine distributors in Uganda
Abstract Background In Uganda, community services for febrile children are expanding from presumptive treatment of fever with anti-malarials through the home-based management of fever (HBMF) programme, to include treatment for malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia through Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM). To understand the level of support available, and the capacity and … [Read more...] about Community case management of malaria: exploring support, capacity and motivation of community medicine distributors in Uganda
Working with Community Health Workers as ‘volunteers’ in a vaccine trial: Practical and ethical experiences and implications
Community engagement is increasingly emphasized in biomedical research, as a right in itself, and to strengthen ethical practice. We draw on interviews and observations to consider the practical and ethical implications of involving Community Health Workers (CHWs) as part of a community engagement strategy for a vaccine trial on the Kenyan Coast. CHWs were initially engaged as … [Read more...] about Working with Community Health Workers as ‘volunteers’ in a vaccine trial: Practical and ethical experiences and implications