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Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

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Obstetrics and Gynecology

Reproductive Health

2012

Community Health Workers

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Increasing Access To Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services Through Community Work: A Case Study Of A Dual Cadre Model In India, Jaleel Ahmad, Isha Bhatnagar, M.E. Khan Jan 2012

Increasing Access To Family Planning And Reproductive Health Services Through Community Work: A Case Study Of A Dual Cadre Model In India, Jaleel Ahmad, Isha Bhatnagar, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

Before the introduction of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in India, mid-level auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) were responsible for community health education and services such as antenatal care, delivery, IUCD insertion, and sterilization referrals. The Population Council studied how community extension work and some primary care responsibilities have been shifted to ASHAs, who are tasked with identifying pregnant women; facilitating ANC check-ups; motivating women for institutional deliveries during ANC checkups; and organizing child immunization. Establishing dual worker cadres in India by shifting community extension tasks from ANMs to local ASHAs has been well conceived. Task shifting has allowed ANMs, as …


Community Health Workers For Maternal And Child Health, Leah Jarvis, Nancy Termini Lachance Jan 2012

Community Health Workers For Maternal And Child Health, Leah Jarvis, Nancy Termini Lachance

Reproductive Health

In this factsheet, the Population Council notes the shortage of trained health professionals in the developing world; virtually all of sub-Saharan Africa stands below the critical threshold of 2.3 doctors, nurses, and midwives per thousand people. Doctors are especially unevenly distributed between urban and rural areas, with shortages being even more acute in rural communities. This document summarizes the important role of community health workers (CHWs) who can considerably increase coverage where access to health facilities is difficult and service utilization is already low. CHWs can play a vital role in increasing access to family planning and work within a …