CHWs across the world have mixed status, with some feeling appreciated as important contributors to their community and others feeling used and undervalued by more advanced health professionals. Sumit Kane and his colleagues surveyed CHWs in India to better understand their lived experiences. Many CHWs described initially feeling as if they were a powerless tool, but these … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers as Influential Health System Actors and not “Just Another Pair Of Hands”
Research
Community health worker interventions to promote psychosocial outcomes among people living with HIV– A systematic review
Some CHWs learn how to help people experiencing HIV and AIDS reframe their thinking about the disease to reduce depression, improve quality of life, and engage in treatment. Hae-Ra Han and her colleagues gathered available research about whether different types of training contribute to positive changes in HIV- and AIDS-related thoughts and behaviors. They identified limited … [Read more...] about Community health worker interventions to promote psychosocial outcomes among people living with HIV– A systematic review
A monitoring and evaluation gap for WHO’s community health worker guidelines, Botswana
A 2018 literature review conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that CHWs are effective at improving population health across countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Americas. Based on their results, the WHO developed guidelines to ensure CHWs perform their roles effectively. Stephanie Watson-Grant and co-authors reported on a comparative … [Read more...] about A monitoring and evaluation gap for WHO’s community health worker guidelines, Botswana
Impact of mobile health-enhanced supportive supervision and supply chain management on appropriate integrated community case management of malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia in children 2-59 months: A cluster randomized trial in Eastern Province, Zambia
Poor supply chain management and a lack of supportive supervision represent challenges to successful treatment of childhood illnesses like diarrhoea, malaria, and pneumonia. Godfrey Biemba and his team wanted to know whether a mobile health (mHealth) system could help CHWs monitor medical stock and improve the quality of supervision and mentoring of CHWs. Results indicated that … [Read more...] about Impact of mobile health-enhanced supportive supervision and supply chain management on appropriate integrated community case management of malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia in children 2-59 months: A cluster randomized trial in Eastern Province, Zambia
When financial incentives backfire: A community health worker experiment in Uganda
CHWs sometimes charge for health products like those used to treat child diarrhea, but limited research has examined whether or not a fee-for-service model improves CHW performance. Zachary Wagner and his team compared the performance of Uganda-based CHWs who charged for their services against those who did not. Those who charged for their services conducted fewer household … [Read more...] about When financial incentives backfire: A community health worker experiment in Uganda