Asia

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Two-Stage Sequential Screening Strategy Implemented by Community Health Workers (CHWs) to Identify Individuals with COPD in Rural India

When Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) goes undiagnosed, it often results in a high disease burden and in some cases death. Community Health Workers (CHWs) in a rural area of North India assessed the effectiveness of a two-step screening strategy to accurately identify individuals with COPD. With such a strategy, the hope is to ensure proper disease management and … [Read more...] about Diagnostic Accuracy of a Two-Stage Sequential Screening Strategy Implemented by Community Health Workers (CHWs) to Identify Individuals with COPD in Rural India

In the Lao district of Xepon, the majority of the Village Health Volunteer (VHV) workforce is male, which presents unique challenges when engaging with pregnant females for primary healthcare purposes. To enhance primary care among this population through VHVs, this study paired VHVs were partnered with female VHVs to understand the effect of a male and female VHV team on … [Read more...] about Impact of village health volunteer support on postnatal depressive symptoms in the remote rural areas of Lao People’s Democratic Republic: a cross-sectional study

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major health issue in Nepal. This study examines existing barriers and facilitators to utilizing CHWs in the prevention and management of NCDs. The authors argue that CHWs deliver essential NCD services. To improve service delivery, CHWs should be fully integrated into the primary care system in Nepal. … [Read more...] about Community health workers for non-communicable disease prevention and control in Nepal: a qualitative study

Despite CHW’s contributions to public health goals, there continues to be a lack of investment in CHW programs. The authors of this paper argue that strengthening and growing national CHW programs are crucial to achieving global health goals like universal health coverage and ending child and maternal deaths by 2030. They suggest that offering comprehensive training for CHWs … [Read more...] about Article: Health for the People: Past, Current, and Future Contributions of National Community Health Worker Programs to Achieving Global Health Goals

Informal occupational roles with the lowest pay and the least power have been dominated by women. Recent findings from Afghanistan showed that male CHWs were praised for their volunteer work while female CHWs doing similar work were not praised as their efforts were viewed “expected” (Najafizada et al. 2019). COVID-19 has further highlighted the gendered nature of the … [Read more...] about Promoting Gender Responsive Policies and Programmes for Community Health Workers: a Gender Analysis Framework