A key element of USAID’s strategic approach to maternal and child health (MCH) is to increase the number of functional community health workers serving in USAID priority countries by at least 100,000 by 2013. At the request of the USAID MCH team, the Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) developed a tool that defines a set of key elements needed for community health worker … [Read more...] about Community Health Worker Assessment and Improvement Matrix (CHW AIM): A Toolkit for Improving CHW Programs and Services
Motivation/incentives
Increasing community health worker productivity and effectiveness: a review of the influence of the work environment
Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as a critical link in improving access to services and achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Given the financial and human resources constraints in developing countries, CHWs are expected to do more without necessarily receiving the needed support to do their jobs well.This article presents … [Read more...] about Increasing community health worker productivity and effectiveness: a review of the influence of the work environment
Assessment of the Training of the First Intake of Health Extension Workers
This study assessed the first year of Ethiopia’s Health Extension Worker (HEW) training program, a central component of the Health Extension Program's (HEP). The authors used a questionnaire and observations on the training program’s inputs, processes, and outputs. They found that the training centers lacked adequate facilities for the HEW trainees and the selection and … [Read more...] about Assessment of the Training of the First Intake of Health Extension Workers
The Retention of Community Service Officers at District Hospitals in KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo Provinces
Note: “Community Service Officer” in this context means health professionals including doctors, pharmacists and dentists, deployed by the government to do community service. This study aims to assess retention determinants for health professionals to continue giving service in the district hospital after the one year community service programme. According to the study, the … [Read more...] about The Retention of Community Service Officers at District Hospitals in KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo Provinces
Designing for Behavior Change
The "Designing for Behavior Change" curriculum, developed by the CORE Group Social and Behavior Change working group, responds to community health managers' and planners' need for a practical behavioral framework that aids them in planning their projects strategically for maximum effectiveness. The curriculum is built upon the BEHAVE Framework, developed by the Academy for … [Read more...] about Designing for Behavior Change

