In many rural villages, the nearest clinic is hours away, and the nearest doctor is farther still. What these communities often have instead is a neighbor who has been trained to check a feverish child, visit a new mother, spot a malnourished toddler, and know when to refer someone to a health facility. These are community health workers (CHWs), and for millions of people they are the health system. Who Are Community Health Workers? Community health workers are frontline health cadres who live in the communities they serve. Africa CDC and partners describe them as the lowest-level health cadre, working within communities to promote health, prevent and control disease, and act as a bridge between households and the formal primary health care system, especially in underserved and hard-to-reach areas. Their roles vary by country but typically include health education, maternal and newborn home visits, immunization follow-up, screening for malnutrition, treatment of common childhoo...
Introduction Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now the leading cause of death worldwide. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer take millions of lives every year, affecting individuals, families, and health systems. Unlike infectious diseases, NCDs are not passed from person to person. They develop over time and are shaped by lifestyle, environment, genetics, and, importantly, by access to healthcare. The growing burden of NCDs shows the urgent need for prevention, early detection, public awareness, and stronger health services. NCDs by the Numbers Global deaths: According to WHO (fact sheet updated 25 September 2025), NCDs killed at least 43 million people in 2021, equal to 75% of all non-pandemic-related deaths. Cardiovascular diseases caused at least 19 million of these deaths, cancers about 10 million, chronic respiratory diseases about 4 million, and diabetes over 2 million (including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes)....