Informal occupational roles with the lowest pay and the least power have been dominated by women. Recent findings from Afghanistan showed that male CHWs were praised for their volunteer work while female CHWs doing similar work were not praised as their efforts were viewed “expected” (Najafizada et al. 2019). COVID-19 has further highlighted the gendered nature of the … [Read more...] about Promoting Gender Responsive Policies and Programmes for Community Health Workers: a Gender Analysis Framework
Research
“Contract to Volunteer”: South African Community Health Worker Mobilization for Better Labor Protection
This article explores the growing movement for labor rights for South African community health workers (CHWs). It tracks the emergence of sporadic mobilizations for decent work (supported by local health activist organizations) and the formation of the National Union of Care Workers of South Africa (NUCWOSA) in 2016. The authors of this paper close by offering suggestions for … [Read more...] about “Contract to Volunteer”: South African Community Health Worker Mobilization for Better Labor Protection
Impact of Different Levels of Supervision on the Recovery of Severely Malnourished Children Treated by Community Health Workers in Mali
The Ministry of Health in Mali included the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) into integrated community case management activities. This prospective non-randomized community intervention study conducted in Kayes Region of Mali, evaluated two supervision models for treating SAM using community health workers (CHWs). Ultimately, some supervision for CHWs treating … [Read more...] about Impact of Different Levels of Supervision on the Recovery of Severely Malnourished Children Treated by Community Health Workers in Mali
Tracking Weight-for-Age of Infants Using Home Based Newborn Care Plus by ASHA Workers
Child malnutrition remains a serious global concern. The authors of this study investigate whether frequent home health visits by a CHW in the first year of a child’s life improve the nutritional status of children. The study found statistically significant benefits to frequent home health visits by a CHW within the first year of a child’s life. This determined that frequent … [Read more...] about Tracking Weight-for-Age of Infants Using Home Based Newborn Care Plus by ASHA Workers
Instructive roles and supportive relationships: client perspectives of their engagement with community health workers in a rural south African home visiting program
Community health worker (CHW) programs have been positioned to meet the needs of marginalized populations with inequitable access to health care. With increased technical focus on CHW work, the value of CHWs in building relationships with clients tends to be overlooked. More importantly, these programs are often reframed and redeployed without attending to the interests and … [Read more...] about Instructive roles and supportive relationships: client perspectives of their engagement with community health workers in a rural south African home visiting program