The traditional model for selecting Community Health Workers (CHWs) involves electing a willing, trusted, educated community member. However, this ideal is rarely practiced. Through life history interviews with CHWs in Isiolo, Kenya, five predominant pathways to community health work were identified: model, handpicked, shadow, outsider, and dispossession. Each pathway, … [Read more...] about ‘Our hands are bound’:Pathways to Community Health labor in Kenya
CHW programs
Equity and empowerment effects: Multiple styles of ‘voluntarism’ in community-based health projects.
Community health workers (CHWs), often volunteers or minimally paid, play vital roles in addressing health disparities. This study focuses on "change-agent" CHWs in an Indian nutrition education program.The analysis reveals challenges in volunteer selection, tensions between volunteer expectations, training and empowerment, and varied perspectives on CHWs payments. While … [Read more...] about Equity and empowerment effects: Multiple styles of ‘voluntarism’ in community-based health projects.
Training Latinx Community Health Workers as Clinical Research and Health Care System Navigators
Community health workers (CHWs), also known as promotores de salud, serve as vital connectors between community members, organizations, and healthcare systems. Primarily from the communities they serve, CHWs play crucial roles in providing culturally appropriate health information, navigating systems, and building trust, especially with marginalized groups like Latino/Hispanic … [Read more...] about Training Latinx Community Health Workers as Clinical Research and Health Care System Navigators
Labour conditions in dual-cadre community health worker programmes: a systematic review.
Community health workers, mainly women, play a vital role in improving health outcomes and equity, offering a good return on investment. However, many are unpaid, especially in the Africa region where over 80% are not salaried. Some countries use dual-cadre systems, combining paid and unpaid workers, to address health workers shortages. While volunteering can be positive, … [Read more...] about Labour conditions in dual-cadre community health worker programmes: a systematic review.
A Review of Community Health Worker Integration in Health Departments
Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital role in connecting marginalized communities with healthcare and social services. This study examines how health departments (HDs) are integrating CHWs into their workforce and state-level policies for CHW training and certification. Findings reveal that HDs partner with organizations to employ CHWs, leading to enhanced community … [Read more...] about A Review of Community Health Worker Integration in Health Departments
