Authors: Georgina Zawolo, Gertrude Nsorma Nyaaba, Gartee Nallo, Karsor Kollie, Rachael Thomson, Joanna Raven, Sally Theobald, Laura Dean
Community health worker (CHW) programs are essential for addressing health worker shortages and promoting universal health coverage. In Liberia, the Ministry of Health launched a National Community Health Services Policy in 2016 to reform CHW programs and improve health workforce capacity. This study investigates how these reforms affected CHWs involved in delivering Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) programs. Researchers conducted a qualitative case study from March 2017 to August 2018, analyzing policy documents, interviewing decision-makers, and gathering life and job histories from CHWs. The findings reveal that the CHW program reform created both opportunities and challenges for enhancing CHW performance. It improved formal recognition, training, supervision, and provided monthly incentives, which helped strengthen healthcare delivery at the community level. However, supervision gaps in routine interventions still exist, and community engagement in CHW selection must consider gender dynamics. Overall, the study highlights that CHW reforms can positively and negatively impact health interventions, suggesting that coordinated efforts between CHW programs and routine health interventions can improve overall healthcare systems and CHW performance.
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Resource Topic: CHW programs, Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)
Resource Type: Qualitative
Year: 2024
Region: Africa
Country: Liberia
Publisher May Restrict Access: No