Strengthening primary health care through community health workers in South Asia.
Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia
; 28: 100463, 2024 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39301268
ABSTRACT
The growing health challenges in South Asia require further adaptations of community health worker (CHW) programs as a key element of primary health care (PHC). This paper provides a comparative analysis of CHW programs in five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), examines successes and challenges, and suggests reforms to better ensure highly performing CHW programs. To examine CHW programs in the region, we conducted a narrative review of the peer-reviewed and grey literatures, as well as eliciting opinions from experts. Common roles of CHWs include health education, community mobilization, and community-based services, particularly related to reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health. Some countries utilize CHWs for non-communicable diseases and other emerging health issues. To maximize the potential contribution of CHWs to achieving Universal Health Coverage, we recommend future research and policy focus on strengthening existing health systems to support the expansion of CHWs roles and better integrating of CHWs into national PHC systems. This is Paper 4 in the Series on Primary Health Care in South Asia, addressing areas that have the potential to revitalize health systems in South Asian countries. Funding:
The authors received financial support from the Department of Health Systems Development, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO SEAR).
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos
País de publicação:
Reino Unido