The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 500,000 children each year are diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and 64,000 HIV-negative children die annually due to TB. The true burden of childhood TB is unknown; children are often undiagnosed and therefore do not receive appropriate care. Childhood TB is often seen with other common childhood illnesses such as … [Read more...] about A framework for integrating childhood tuberculosis into community-based child health care
Community Involvement
Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion
Community health worker (CHW) programmes have received much attention since the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, with many initiatives established in developing countries. However, CHW programmes often suffer high attrition once the initial enthusiasm of volunteers wanes. In 2002, Uganda began implementing a national CHW programme called the village health teams (VHTs), but their … [Read more...] about Selection and performance of village health teams (VHTs) in Uganda: lessons from the natural helper model of health promotion
Exploring the context in which different close-to-community sexual and reproductive health service providers operate in Bangladesh: a qualitative study
A range of formal and informal close-to-community (CTC) health service providers operate in an increasingly urbanized Bangladesh. Informal CTC health service providers play a key role in Bangladesh’s pluralistic health system, yet the reasons for their popularity and their interactions with formal providers and the community are poorly understood. This paper aims to understand … [Read more...] about Exploring the context in which different close-to-community sexual and reproductive health service providers operate in Bangladesh: a qualitative study
Snap shots from a photo competition: what does it reveal about close-to-community providers, gender and power in health systems?
In this commentary, we discuss a photography competition, launched during the summer of 2014, to explore the everyday stories of how gender plays out within health systems around the world. While no submission fees were charged nor financial awards involved, the winning entries were exhibited at the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Cape Town, South Africa, in … [Read more...] about Snap shots from a photo competition: what does it reveal about close-to-community providers, gender and power in health systems?
‘ Trust and teamwork matter ’ : Community health workers’ experiences in integrated service delivery in India
CHW experiences in Orissa, India go beyond the technical aspects of combining different health systems. Teamwork and building trust with the community were found to be pivotal parts of their practice. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) primary health care ideology conflicts with the narrow indicators of health system performance (over reliance on statistical evidence, … [Read more...] about ‘ Trust and teamwork matter ’ : Community health workers’ experiences in integrated service delivery in India
