Generalist CHWs were integrated into the South African health care system in 2011 to support limited availability of primary health care providers. Areas particularly needing support included rural communities struggling to address maternal and child health needs. Linnea Stansert Katzen and her colleagues followed 313 mothers in two rural South African areas over the course of … [Read more...] about Home visits by community health workers in rural South Africa have a limited, but important impact on maternal and child health in the first two years of life
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Positionality of Community Health Workers on Health Intervention Research Teams: A Scoping Review
Even the most effective solutions will fail if they do not align with the experiences, interests, and beliefs of the communities they are designed to help. As people who are intimately involved within their communities, CHWs represent a group with the knowledge and insight to help researchers tailor projects to better fit the needs of their target audiences. Kiera Coulter and … [Read more...] about Positionality of Community Health Workers on Health Intervention Research Teams: A Scoping Review
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
Financing Alliance for Health Country Case Study: Kenya
Financing Alliance for Health has produced a series of country case studies providing robust information on community health system profiles, taking a financing lens. Each case study includes insights on community health system context, structure and lessons on financing. Kenya’s community health program was introduced in 2006 and has undergone various evolutions to … [Read more...] about Financing Alliance for Health Country Case Study: Kenya
The community health worker as service extender, cultural broker and social change agent: A critical interpretive synthesis of roles, intent, an accountability
CHWs connect the communities in which they live and the health systems in which they are immersed. Marta Schaaf and her colleagues identified the three main roles of CHWs in bridging this gap: the service extender (bringing medical services to the people), the cultural broker (interpreting medical services for the people), and the social change agent (helping address contexts … [Read more...] about The community health worker as service extender, cultural broker and social change agent: A critical interpretive synthesis of roles, intent, an accountability