Authors: James Avoka Asamani, PhD, Sunny C. Okoroafor, PhD, and Kasonde Mwinga, MMed
Community health workers are essential for achieving universal health coverage and reducing health inequalities by providing key healthcare services. African leaders aim to expand this workforce, but there is uncertainty about how many are needed. Estimates suggest that depending on their working hours, the number of community health workers required ranges from 11.2 to 59.5 per 10,000 people. If many work part-time, the shortage could be as high as 954,500, but if all worked full-time, the gap would shrink to 210,000. These estimates provide a starting point, but countries should use workforce planning tools to determine their specific needs.
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Resource Topic: CHW Role, CHW programs, Primary Health Care, Universal Health Coverage, Universal healthcare
Resource Type: Review
Year: 2025
Region: Africa
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Publisher May Restrict Access: No