Leveraging community health workers for COVID-19 response in Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda: roles, barriers, and facilitators.

Autor: Namuhani N; Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P. BOX 7072, Kampala, Uganda. nnamuhani@musph.ac.ug., Babirye Z; Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda., Monje F; Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda., Salawu MM; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Bosonkie M; Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo., Bello S; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Kabwama SN; Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda., Egbende L; Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo., Bamgboye EA; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Tusubira A; Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda., Kashiya Y; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo., Kizito S; Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda., Afolabi RF; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Adebowale AS; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Dairo MD; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Diallo I; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Leye MMM; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Ndiaye Y; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Fall M; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Bassoum O; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Seck I; Preventive Medicine and Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal., Fawole OI; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., Mapatano MA; Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo., Ndejjo R; Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda., Wanyenze RK; Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda., Kiwanuka SN; Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P. BOX 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC primary care [BMC Prim Care] 2024 Jul 24; Vol. 25 (1), pp. 269. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 24.
DOI: 10.1186/s12875-024-02531-0
Abstrakt: Background: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic overwhelmed health systems and disrupted the delivery of health services globally. Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in linking communities to health systems, supporting the prevention and control of diseases in many low- and middle-income countries. However, their roles, barriers, and facilitators in the response and control of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been well documented. We described the roles of CHWs in the COVID-19 response, including the barriers and facilitators.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the COVID-19 response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. This involved 110 key informant interviews with policymakers, health facility managers, district health managers, and CHWs to understand the role of CHWs in the COVID 19 response, selected purposively. The total sample size was based on information saturation in each of the countries. A document review on the COVID-19 response was also conducted. We searched Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed for published and grey literature. Data from the selected documents were extracted into a Google master matrix in MS Excel and analyzed thematically.
Results: In COVID-19 Control, CHWs supported community-based surveillance, contact tracing, risk communication, community mobilization, and home-based care. To support the continuity of other non-COVID-19 services, the CHWs conducted community mobilization, sensitizations, outreaches, referrals, and patient follow-ups. CHWs were challenged by movement restrictions, especially in the initial stages of the lockdown, inadequate PPE, increased workload, low allowances, and motivation. CHW were facilitated by trainings, the development of guidelines, development partners' support/funding, and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools.
Conclusion: CHWs supported both the COVID-19 control and continuity of non-COVID-19 health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHWs are a critical resource that must be adequately supported to build resilient health systems.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje