Results: 3069
Training, supervision, and performance of Community Health Workers in the delivery of ear and hearing care to 321 community members in rural Uganda (2021)
In Uganda there is shortage of ear and hearing care; community health workers (CHWs) are well-positioned to bridge the gap. Researchers conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of CHWs in screening for ear and hearing services. They found that 98% of referrals made by CHWs were appropriate. The studyRead more…
Maintaining population health in low‐ and middle‐income countries during the Covid‐19 pandemic: Why we should be investing in Community Health Workers (2020)
Community health workers (CHWs) are well positioned to play an essential role in the COVID-19 response. The authors of this paper discuss the success of CHWs in the Philippines, highlighting the substantial integration as a critical part of the healthcare workforce which has allowed CHWs to significantly support COVID-19 mitigationRead more…
Associations and community health workers: analysis and time trends over ten years of training-action (2019)
Strong training curricula help prepare CHWs to provide high quality care to their communities. Researchers evaluated peer education activities and found that actively engaging CHWs in peer education improves health promotion activities over time.
The role of price and convenience in use of oral rehydration salts to treat child diarrhea: A cluster randomized trial in Uganda (2019)
Diarrheal diseases are a major cause of childhood mortality across the globe. This study, conducted in Uganda, evaluates whether a community health worker distribution model decreases or increases ORS coverage in children. The authors found that financial constraints were a major barrier to accessing ORS and that the CHW distributionRead more…
Kenya National Community Health Strategy, 2020-2025 (2021)
In 2006 Kenya adopted a community-based approach (Community Health Strategy), as articulated in the second National Health Sector Strategic Plan (2005-2010), which defined a new approach for health care service delivery to Kenyans. This approach emphasized a more proactive approach of promoting individual and community health to prevent the occurrenceRead more…
The Community Health Systems Reform Cycle: Strengthening the Integration of Community Health Worker Programs Through an Institutional Reform Perspective (2021)
Because community health workers (CHWs) are key to achieving health equity, governments and CHW program managers are interested in effective ways to scale up CHW programs. Experts developed a framework based off of CHW program scale-up efforts across 7 countries and found that successful scaling of CHW programs was dependentRead more…
Governance of community health worker programs in a decentralized health system: a qualitative study in the Philippines (2021)
In the Philippines, where the healthcare system is decentralized, the support of community health workers (CHWs) to achieve universal health coverage varies. The authors conducted a qualitative study to understand how the lived experiences of CHWs were influenced by varying political and social contexts. They found that across different contexts,Read more…
Community health worker-delivered weight management intervention among public housing residents: A feasibility study (2021)
Community health workers (CHWs) are well positioned to deliver health information to a broad audience. Researchers conducted a randomized trial in Boston, Massachusetts to determine the effectiveness of a weight management intervention for adults living in public housing attending CHW-delivered motivational interviewing-based counseling sessions. The model was effective in increasingRead more…
Community health worker-led ART delivery improved scheduled antiretroviral drug refill among men who have sex with men in Lagos State, Nigeria (2021)
Men who have sex with men experience negative HIV-related health and social outcomes. Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a community health worker-led ART delivery model in the Lagos State of Nigeria. The model was effective in increasing adherence to ART and achieving viral load suppression. ThisRead more…
Brazil’s Community Health Workers Practicing Narrative Medicine: Patients’ Perspectives (2021)
Narrative medicine allows healthcare professionals to establish meaningful bonds with their patients through sharing lived experiences. Researchers in Brazil conducted a study to understand how CHWs utilize narrative medicine. The authors found that in using narrative medicine, CHWs were able to exercise compassion, empathy, and attentiveness with their patients. WhileRead more…
Community health workers’ efforts to build health system trust in marginalised communities: a qualitative study from South Africa (2021)
The authors of this study investigate CHW workplace trust, trust between the patient and the CHW, and trust in the health system within the national CHW program in South Africa. They found that while CHWs had low workplace trust and there is low trust in the healthcare system to provideRead more…
Community Health Workers: Connecting Communities and Supporting School Nurses (2020)
Community health workers (CHWs) are essential to achieving positive health outcomes and advancing health equity in the United States. Yet they are not sufficiently integrated into school healthcare systems. The authors of this article emphasize the important role CHWs play in connecting school-aged children and their families to necessary communityRead more…
How workers respond to social rewards: evidence from community health workers in Uganda (2020)
How does recognition affect CHW performance? The authors of this study explored how a competitive annual award (a social reward) affected CHW performance in Uganda. The researchers found that when one CHW received the award, peer CHW performance decreased. Additionally, the authors found that if a whole CHW branch receivedRead more…
Effect of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation in Malawi: A cluster-randomised trial (2021)
HIV infection can go undetected in certain populations of Malawi, increasing disease-burden and continued transmission. Researchers conducted a study to assess the effectiveness and safety of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing (HIVST) to increase antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. The authors found that community-led HIVST was a safe and cost effectiveRead more…
Assessing selection procedures and roles of Community Health Volunteers and Community Health Management Committees in Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services program (2021)
In Ghana, community health volunteers (CHVs) and community health management committees (CHMCs) are essential to providing health care and fostering a sense of community ownership. This study sought to understand the criteria used to select these crucial community-based providers. The authors found that selection processes for CHVs and CHMCs varyRead more…
Health policy and system support to optimize CHW programmes for HIV, TB and Malaria services: an evidence guide (2021)
Tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and malaria remain endemic in many countries worldwide. The WHO has developed an evidence guide for engaging CHWs to combat poverty and social access barriers that prevent continued progress in health outcomes related to these diseases. This guide includes evidence-based CHW program planning, implementation, and evaluation resourcesRead more…
The role of community health workers in COVID-19 vaccination: Implementation and support guide (2021)
The WHO developed a guide to support governments with essential vaccine distribution efforts to combat the global COVID-19 epidemic. They emphasize the crucial role of community health workers (CHWs) in distributing vaccines and recommend the following for utilizing CHWs in vaccine distribution efforts: (1) CHWs be involved at every stageRead more…
Gender intentional approaches to enhance health social enterprises in Africa: a qualitative study of constraints and strategies (2021)
Although efforts to reach gender equality can improve health outcomes, research is lacking as to what specific gender barriers exist that perpetuate substandard health outcomes. This qualitative study set out to identify specific gender barriers that create obstacles to achieving improved health in Africa. Researchers found that female community healthRead more…
The Lived Experiences of Community Health Workers Serving in a Large-Scale Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Intervention Trial in Rural Bangladesh (2021)
In Bangladesh, community health workers (CHWs) were integral in implementing a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program. The authors studied the lived experiences of CHWs in the program to inform future implementation. CHWs reported positive effects of participation in the program, such as increased confidence and a sense of respectRead more…
Evaluating Vertical Malaria Community Health Worker Programs as Malaria Declines: Learning From Program Evaluations in Honduras and Lao PDR (2021)
Community health workers are essential for providing malaria-related healthcare services in both the Greater Mekong Subregion and Central America. This mixed-method study evaluated CHW programs in Laos and Honduras to further understand the vertical organization of CHW-delivered malaria services. To maintain the near-zero malaria incidence rate achieved in 2019 inRead more…
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