community health workers

Urban Community Health Workers in Afghanistan

Building strong relationships and trust between community health workers and the communities they serve prior to public health emergencies can help ensure continuity of health seeking behaviors during times of crisis. When health services dropped during COVID-19 lockdowns, women community health workers increased services 25%.

Health-seeking significantly decreased during COVID-19 lockdown due to fear of contracting the virus, and
many of the health posts in CHWs homes were shut down at this time. In contrast, CARE-supported urban CHWs,
particularly in Kabul and Balkh, were able to continue service provision in their homes due to the strong trust
they had built with the communities they served and their recognized leadership among community members
and as part of the health system. The relationship between CHWs and local communities was complemented by
CARE’s efforts to quickly provide CHWs with personal protective equipment and build capacity on WHO
protocols for COVID-19 screening, detection, and referral of cases as well as risk communication and
community engagement. During COVID-19 lockdown, the CHWs also continued provision of SRH, GBV services,
and referrals to midwives at community-based health centers run by CARE. In addition to maintaining service
delivery, the CHWs also began offering counseling and support to local women using mobile phones. Read More...

Women at the last mile: How investments in gender equality have kept health systems running during COVID-19

Even before COVID-19, investments in health systems—and especially female health workers—were too low. In 2019 the world had a gap of 18 million health workers. Two years and fifteen million deaths later, we have at least 26 million fewer health workers than we need. , This leaves us severely underprepared for future pandemics and other major shocks to the health system, including conflict and climate change. We must invest in health systems that don’t just meet the needs of today, but that are also resilient in the face of future shocks.

Pandemic preparedness requires gender equality: equal recognition, support, and fair pay for ALL health workers. Globally, 70% of health workers are women, but half of their work is unpaid. We must do more to support these health workers. The glimmers of success in COVID-19 built on previous investments in women health workers, their skills, and equality in health systems. Pre-existing investments in equality helped systems respond to COVID-19. Increased investments will build better resilience for the crises that come next.

This report highlights case studies and lessons learned from 20 countries during COVID-19. The evidence shows that we must invest in gender equality in health systems to prepare for and respond to the next pandemic. Health worker training is not enough. Focusing only on health workers working within the formal health system is not enough. We need to work for equality.

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Tabora Maternal & Newborn Health Initiative (TAMANI): Year 4 results

The Tabora Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative (TAMANI) is a five-year project led by CARE in partnership with the Government of Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) and the Prime Minister’s Office for Regional and Local Government (PO-RALG). Implementing partners include the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania (AGOTA), the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH), McGill University’s Institute for Health & Social Policy, and Ifakara Health Institute (IHI). The project is financially supported by the Government of Canada and is closely aligned to Government of Tanzania (GoT) health polices, strategies and guidelines.
The Annual Report covers the period of April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.The report provides an analysis on operations to date against the Year Four Annual Work Plan. This report also highlights how the project
pivoted to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic and includes reporting on COVID response programming as approved by GAC in March 2020. Read More...

COVID-19 Response in Tabora Tanzania (Bloomberg)

CARE Tanzania builds on its successful partnership with the Government of Tanzania’s Regional Health Management Team (RHMT) in Tabora Region. Leveraging funding from the Government of Canada as part of the Tabora
Maternal Newborn Health Initiative (TAMANI), CARE’s Bloomberg-funded COVID-19 activities builds on efforts to improve access of and quality of health services across health facilities and communities to challenge harmful gender norms.
In partnership with the Government of Tanzania, activities cover all 8 districts in Tabora Region. CARE provides technical support and training to Community Health Workers, who are supported by the government in their duties.With the onset of COVID-19, CARE Tanzania quickly implemented a digital survey to understand the impacts of COVID-19. The majority of female respondents reported increases in gender-based violence and harassment, with COVID-19 restricting women’s access to resources and decision-making. Read More...

The Final Evaluation of the Opportunities for Mother and Infants Development Project

The Opportunities for Mother and Infant Development (OMID) is a three year project (from 2018 to 2021), funded by The Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK). The current phase of the project has been implemented in the two districts (16th and 17th) in Kabul city. The main purpose of the project is to improve the health and reduce the mortality among mothers, newborns and children in the most vulnerable communities through community-based interventions facilitated and delivered by Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Community Midwives (CMWs).

Overall, the project has been effective in achieving the intended outcomes. Access and utilization of Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) services have improved as demonstrated by achievement of the project’s key performance indicators across the continuum of care.

This included increases in the %:
- of women reporting ANC utilization
- of women who undertook the first ANC visit before by the 3rd trimester of their pregnancy
- of those who knew the date that the baby was expected to arrive
- of those women who had a plan where she would deliver the baby
- of those women who believed health facility is safer to deliver there

And decreases in the %:
- of those who didn’t go for ANC and believed it is not important
- of those who didn’t go for ANC and indicated the high cost of care as reason

The community systems strengthening undertaken by the project through establishment of community based health facilities and CHWs was effective in increasing health awareness and adoption of positive MNCH behaviors and practices. Read More...

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