Public health crises like HIV, hepatitis C, and opioid overdoses often overlap, worsening health disparities, especially in marginalized communities. Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Peer Support Specialists (PSSs) play crucial roles in addressing these challenges—CHWs focus on health education and resource navigation, while PSSs provide support through lived experience in … [Read more...] about Dual Certification Of Community Health Workers And Certified Peer Support Specialists Can Better Address Syndemics
Feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of a human-centered design-derived intervention to improve community health workers’ contraception outreach in rural Malawi
Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) in Malawi play a key role in expanding contraceptive access in rural areas. The Ndingathe intervention was designed to improve outreach by addressing HSA workflow challenges and enhancing self-injection counseling through a mnemonic and peer support from experienced users. During a six-month pilot, Ndingathe increased outreach clinic … [Read more...] about Feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of a human-centered design-derived intervention to improve community health workers’ contraception outreach in rural Malawi
Assessing the value-added contributions of community health workers and communities to early child development: a longitudinal study in a low-income setting
Early child development programs delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in low-resource settings can be effective, but scaling them presents challenges. This study analyzed data from a home-visiting trial in rural Madagascar to assess the impact of CHWs and communities on child development. Results showed that CHWs and community factors influenced children's developmental … [Read more...] about Assessing the value-added contributions of community health workers and communities to early child development: a longitudinal study in a low-income setting
Co-producing a health advocate intervention for pediatric liver transplant recipients using human-centered design
Pediatric liver transplant patients and their families face challenges in accessing healthcare and social services. This study used input from caregivers and transplant teams to design a navigator role to address these issues. Caregivers wanted help with accessing resources, preparing for appointments, and improving communication with schools and healthcare providers. … [Read more...] about Co-producing a health advocate intervention for pediatric liver transplant recipients using human-centered design
Exploration of the multi-level barriers to scaling up methadone for HIV prevention among people who inject drugs in Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, methadone is a free treatment for opioid use disorder, but few people who need it are using it. This study explored barriers to methadone access among people who inject drugs (PWID), healthcare providers, and policymakers. Key challenges included concerns about methadone safety, strict entry requirements, and limited availability. Clinicians and community health … [Read more...] about Exploration of the multi-level barriers to scaling up methadone for HIV prevention among people who inject drugs in Kazakhstan