Ethiopia’s Health Extension Program (HEP), launched in 2003 to expand access to primary healthcare, faces challenges with staff inefficiency, including absenteeism and unproductive work. This study explored why health extension workers (HEWs) struggle to use their time effectively. Interviews and focus groups revealed that HEWs often spend time on non-health tasks like … [Read more...] about Insights to optimizing health extension workers’ time use and efficiency in Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Contributions of a community health worker program in improving district health system performance in South Africa, using routine health service variables in a quasi-experimental study design
This study looked at how large-scale community health worker (CHW) programs affect health services in urban South Africa. Over nine years, clinics with strong CHW coverage were compared to those with little or no CHW involvement. Both improved, but clinics with CHWs saw bigger gains in areas like child health, HIV and TB testing, nutrition, and cervical cancer screening. The … [Read more...] about Contributions of a community health worker program in improving district health system performance in South Africa, using routine health service variables in a quasi-experimental study design
Comparative analysis of the use of Community Health Workers while deploying the Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait (ATSB) for malaria control in Western Province, Zambia
This study looked at how community health workers (CHWs) were managed during a malaria trial in Western Zambia from 2021 to 2023. It compared the trial’s approach to best practices, focusing on recruitment, training, supervision, incentives, and community support. The trial did well in training and motivating CHWs but faced challenges with gender balance, involving communities … [Read more...] about Comparative analysis of the use of Community Health Workers while deploying the Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait (ATSB) for malaria control in Western Province, Zambia
Facilitators and barriers of Community Case management of Malaria implementation in Homabay, Busia and Kakamega Counties, Kenya
This study looked at how community health volunteers (CHVs) help fight malaria by diagnosing and treating it within communities. Researchers surveyed 528 households and held discussions and interviews to understand what helps or hinders this work. They found that most households had received malaria services and were satisfied with CHV care. Successful efforts included … [Read more...] about Facilitators and barriers of Community Case management of Malaria implementation in Homabay, Busia and Kakamega Counties, Kenya
Supporting community health workers in South Africa for context-specific food and nutrition literacy: implementation of a multi-media education-entertainment intervention
This study tested whether comics and short video clips shared through mobile platforms could improve food and nutrition knowledge among community health workers in South Africa. After six months, participants showed better skills in meal preparation, planning, and overall nutrition literacy. The results suggest that multimedia education can be a useful tool to strengthen CHWs’ … [Read more...] about Supporting community health workers in South Africa for context-specific food and nutrition literacy: implementation of a multi-media education-entertainment intervention
