Authors: Yangxu Lin, Oluwatoni Adesina, Broline Sagini Asuma, Jenny Chen-Charles, Satvika Chalasani, Lucie Cluver, Rosalie Aduayi Diop, William E. Rudgard
This systematic review consolidated evidence from 50 quantitative studies published over the last decade regarding the effectiveness of Community Health Worker (CHW)-led interventions on adolescent health and well-being across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The review found that CHW programs show strong potential for improving adolescent mental health, yielding moderate-certainty evidence for reducing post-traumatic stress (PTS) and strong effects in reducing depression. Additionally, CHWs demonstrated promise in promoting HIV testing services and improving HIV viral suppression, though the certainty of this evidence is low. While meta-analyses indicated that CHWs improved modern contraceptive or consistent condom use among adolescent girls (with very low certainty), no clear effects were observed for adolescent pregnancy. The authors conclude that CHWs are a valuable approach for addressing key health challenges in SSA and recommend continued investment and rigorous future research, especially in under-researched adolescent health domains.
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Resource Topic: Adolescent and youth health, Adolescents, CHW Role, adolescents' sexual reproductive health
Resource Type: Review
Year: 2025
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Country:
Publisher May Restrict Access: No
