CHWs are integral to addressing healthcare shortages in rural South Africa, but little is known about their experiences implementing CHW programs. To strengthen program implementation, this study conducted semi structured interviews with 18 CHWs to understand their experiences with government-implemented CHW programs. The study determined 3 themes that established CHW work … [Read more...] about Are we listening to community health workers? Experiences of the community health worker journey in rural South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Community-directed distributors—The “foot soldiers” in the fight to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases
Community health workers (CHWs) are critical in the delivery of medicines and other tools for the control of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), prevention of malaria, and other beneficial health interventions. This review highlights the burden of work on CHWs in Sub-saharan Africa in the face of NTDs and COVID-19, along with the inadequate financial resources to strengthen … [Read more...] about Community-directed distributors—The “foot soldiers” in the fight to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases
Community health workers at the dawn of a new era.
This is an overview of 11 related articles highlighting the primary issues CHWs face in large-scale interventions. CHWs are recognized as having a critical role in low, middle, and high income countries’ health systems. This series of articles provides suggestions on how to support CHWs programs to improve their careers and the sustainability of their interventions. … [Read more...] about Community health workers at the dawn of a new era.
The role of governance in implementing sustainable global health interventions: review of health system integration for integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illnesses.
Integrated community case management (iCCM) improves access for hard-to-reach populations by deploying CHWs to address infectious diseases, particularly in countries with the greatest burden of under-5 child mortality. This study addressed the sustainability of iCCM programs and government policies. Through a systematic review, the study determined that countries that adapt … [Read more...] about The role of governance in implementing sustainable global health interventions: review of health system integration for integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illnesses.
Understanding community health worker incentive preferences in Uganda using a discrete choice experiment.
Uganda’s CHWs, Village Health Teams (VHT), support village health information access and some primary health care. However, these programs are often underfunded contributing to higher rates of attrition within these teams. Through focus groups and in-depth interviews with CHWs and other key stakeholders, this study determined preferred job incentives for CHWs that would … [Read more...] about Understanding community health worker incentive preferences in Uganda using a discrete choice experiment.