In recent years, community health workers (CHWs) have received renewed attention in light of critical shortages in the health workforce and emphasis on strengthening primary healthcare systems for achieving global health goals. CHWs are generally assumed to be a less expensive alternative compared with other cadres of health workers, notably with regard to salary and incentives … [Read more...] about Costs and cost-effectiveness of community health workers: evidence from a literature review
Recruitment and Retention
Advancing Community Health Workers to Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Costs: Recommendations for the California State Health Care Innovation Plan
This report includes many excellent suggestions for how CHWs can be meaningfully incorporated into our four key Innovation Plan initiatives - Accountable Communities for Health, Health Homes for Patients with Complex Needs, Maternity Care, and Palliative Care - to improve health outcomes for California's diverse populations. … [Read more...] about Advancing Community Health Workers to Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Costs: Recommendations for the California State Health Care Innovation Plan
Factors influencing the career choice and retention of community mental health workers in Ghana
Whilst there have been several studies exploring retention in health workers, little is known about health workers engaged in the provision of mental health services and the factors that affect their recruitment and retention. The objective of this research was to examine the views of stakeholders about the factors which influence career choices and retention of community … [Read more...] about Factors influencing the career choice and retention of community mental health workers in Ghana
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
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
Becoming and remaining community health workers: Perspectives from Ethiopia and Mozambique
Many global health practitioners are currently reaffirming the importance of recruiting and retaining effective community health workers (CHWs) in order to achieve major public health goals. This raises policy-relevant questions about why people become and remain CHWs. This paper addresses these questions, drawing on ethnographic work in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, … [Read more...] about Becoming and remaining community health workers: Perspectives from Ethiopia and Mozambique