The role of 'hidden' community volunteers in community-based health service delivery platforms: examples from sub-Saharan Africa

Global Health Action
Natalie LeonTanya M Doherty

Abstract

Community-based research on child survival in sub-Saharan Africa has focussed on the increased provision of curative health services by a formalised cadre of lay community health workers (CHWs), but we have identified a particular configuration, that deserves closer scrutiny. We identified a two-tiered CHW system, with the first tier being the lessor known or 'hidden' community/village level volunteers and the second tier being formal, paid CHWs, in Ethiopia, Mali, and Niger. Whilst the disease-focussed tasks of the formal CHW tier may be more amenable to classic epidemiological surveillance, we postulate that understanding the relationship between formalised CHWs and volunteer cadres, in terms of scope, location of practice and ratio to population, would be important for a comprehensive evaluation of child survival in these countries. We report on the findings from our joint qualitative and quantitative investigations, highlighting the need to recognise the 'hidden' contribution of volunteers. We need to better characterize the volunteers' interaction with community-based and primary care services and to better understand ways to improve the volunteer systems with the right type of investments. This is particularly important f...Continue Reading

References

Sep 17, 2008·Lancet·Wairagala Wakabi
Jun 24, 2009·Human Resources for Health·Uta LehmannDavid Sanders
Sep 25, 2012·Lancet·Agbessi AmouzouUNKNOWN Niger Countdown Case Study Working Group
Jan 8, 2013·Lancet·David HercotDavid Sanders
Apr 2, 2013·Lancet·Prabhjot Singh, Jeffrey D Sachs
Dec 29, 2013·Health Policy and Planning·Thomas DruetzSlim Haddad
Apr 23, 2014·Tropical Medicine & International Health : TM & IH·Sara BennettJulie Cliff

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Citations

Nov 26, 2019·The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Bethelehem AsegedewFilimona Bisrat
Mar 12, 2016·Bulletin of the World Health Organization·Adeladza Kofi Amegah, Jouni Jk Jaakkola
Oct 6, 2017·Health Policy and Planning·Bereket MathewosEmmanuelle Daviaud
Jan 9, 2018·Journal of Global Health·Tanya DohertyDavid Sanders
Oct 14, 2021·Health Research Policy and Systems·Stephen HodginsHenry B Perry
Oct 14, 2021·Health Research Policy and Systems·Claire GlentonHenry B Perry

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
IEC

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