Community care worker perceptions of their roles in tuberculosis care and their information needs

“If it weren’t for my traditional healer, I would be dead”: Engaging traditional healers to support people living with HIV in rural Mozambique

“…The experience of our traditional healers reflects that of other community health workers across the continent: the belief that they provide essential education and assistance to people living with HIV but are themselves inadequately supported by the health system [ 47 , 90 , 91 ]. The traditional healers in our study noted a lack of respect from health care providers, which was surprising given that the health care providers at this facility had been involved in the development and approval of the program [ 51 ].…”

“…When implemented with fidelity, CHW programs have shown to increase patient adherence to ART, leading to improved viral suppression [ 45 ]. One reason these interventions are successful is that they create a more equitable health care experience: CHWs are more likely to be of the same ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic status as their patients [ 41 , 46 , 47 ], potentially eliminating some of the bias experienced by patients at the health facility.…”

Bench, bed and beyond: Communication and responsibility in decentralised tuberculosis care

“…Several authors highlight how communication is not always optimal in TB treatment and care (Shringarpure et al 2016;Skordis-Worrall, Hanson & Mills 2010). The complex, lengthy nature of treatment can make communication a challenge, resulting in delayed treatment initiation, patient loss to follow-up, poor feedback and reporting, communication breakdowns between clinics and community health workers, and inconsistent patient management across facilities (Blaya et al 2014;Okeyo & Dowse 2016). In the context of decentralised care, and particularly DR-TB care, there are added layers of complexity and responsibility because of the involvement of multiple role players and centres of care.…”

Early detection of developmental delays in vulnerable children by community care workers using an mHealth tool

“…[11] In many South African studies, they are also referred to as community care workers (CCWs). [12,13,14,15] CCWs play an unprecedented role in the social welfare of community members, in addition to focusing on health needs. [16] No clear distinctions between these terms (CHWs vs CCWs) exist across current literature, mainly due to tasks that are formally or informally added to their job description.…”