Health Guide

  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...