ABSTRACT
Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are a renewed focus in the 2030 SDGs. CHWs support equitable coverage for preventive, promotive, and curative services as healthcare partners. This study aimed to identify the challenges of CHWs in achieving SDGs. Methods: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Science, etc., for the published articles between 2015 to 2022. Twenty publications and WHO documents met the inclusion criteria and were analysed and used in the study. Results: Findings shows that CHWs are valuable and cost-effective and have the potential to help achieve several SDGs. The top 10 issues faced by CHWs were listed in the research, including Lack of ad-vancement chances, Excessive workload, Insufficient pay, Insufficient staff, Poor management culture, Lack of supervision, Poor interpersonal relationship with supervisors, limited access to technology, A lack of training and Reduced patient care time. The article also proposes critical activities to assist CHWs in achieving the SDGs. Conclusions: CHWs are essential in health care delivery and help expand preventative, promotive, and curative services. Regular evaluation of CHWs' performance is critical for creating health policy and sys-tem support that optimizes the utilization of CHWs for SGDs.
ABSTRACT
@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> In view of renewed interest in primary health care (PHC) as a framework for health system development, there is a need to revisit how successful community health programs implemented the PHC approach, and what factors should be considered to scale up its implementation in order to sustainably attain ideal community health outcomes in the Philippines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY:</strong> Using the 2008 World Health Report PHC reform categories as analytical framework, this systematic review aimed to glean lessons from experiences in implementing PHC that may help improve the functioning of the current decentralized community-level health system in the country, by analyzing gathered evidence on how primary health care evolved in the country and how community health programs in the Philippines were shaped by the PHC approach.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>RESULTS:</b> Nineteen (19) articles were gathered, 15 of which documented service delivery reforms, two (2) on universal coverage reforms, three (3) on leadership reform, and one (1) on public policy. The literature described how successful PHC efforts centered on community participation and empowerment, thus pinpointing how community empowerment still needs to be included in national public health thrusts, amid the current emphasis on performance indicators to evaluate the success of health programs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:</strong> The studies included in the review emphasize the need for national level public health interventions to be targeted to community health and social determinants of health as well as individual health. Metrics for community empowerment should be developed and implemented by government towards sustainable health and development, while ensuring scientific validity of community health interventions.</p>