Latest Articles
- Taking knowledge for health the extra mile: participatory evaluation of a mobile phone intervention for community health workers in Malawi
A participatory evaluation process called Net-Map showed that providing community health workers (CHWs) with mobile phones and essential technical information changed CHWs, from passive recipients of information with little influence to active information agents who sought and provided information to improve health services.
- mHealth resources to strengthen health programs
A suite of resources provides implementation guidance for mHealth initiatives, particularly in less developed countries. The suite includes an eLearning course, online guide, evidence database, and a High-Impact Practices brief, along with the mHealth Working Group and website.
- SMS versus voice messaging to deliver MNCH communication in rural Malawi: assessment of delivery success and user experience
Mobile SMS health messages had higher successful delivery and led to higher intended or actual behavior change among subscribers than voice messages. Providing multiple delivery modalities led to greater overall access.
- It's about time: WHO and partners release programming strategies for postpartum family planning
The postpartum period is a critical time to address high unmet family planning need and to reduce the risks of closely spaced pregnancies. Practical tools are included in the new resource for integrating postpartum family planning at points when women have frequent health system contact, including during antenatal care, labor and delivery, postnatal care, immunization, and child health care.
- Keeping community health workers in Uganda motivated: key challenges, facilitators, and preferred program inputs
In Uganda, community-based health programs using volunteers should focus on strengthening support systems to address transportation and stockout issues and on improving links with the health structure while reinforcing effort recognition, status, and acquisition of new skills.
- Child malnutrition in Haiti: progress despite disasters
Despite a devastating earthquake and a major cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010, surveys in 2006 and 2012 document marked reductions in child undernutrition. Intensive relief efforts in nutrition as well as synergies and improvements in various sectors before and after the earthquake were likely contributing factors.
- Fulfilling the PEPFAR mandate: a more equitable use of PEPFAR resources across global health
As PEPFAR moves beyond its “emergency stage,” it should now help support a more sustainable development mode, including an equitable platform for meeting a broad range of priority health needs, while continuing to pursue the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
- “A cup of tea with our CBD agent … ”: community provision of injectable contraceptives in Kenya is safe and feasible
Community health workers can safely provide the injectable DMPA when appropriately trained and supervised. We also found a fivefold increase in contraceptive uptake—a finding that builds on evidence from other countries for supportive policy change.
- Early pregnancy detection by female community health volunteers in Nepal facilitated referral for appropriate reproductive health services
Trained female community health volunteers provided low-cost urine pregnancy tests in their communities, leading to counseling and appropriate referrals for antenatal care, family planning, or comprehensive abortion care.
- Providing technical assistance to ministries of health: lessons learned over 30 years
Pursuing true country ownership for effective programs requires a long-term approach involving persistence, patience, keen understanding of counterparts' perspective, deference, building trust, focus on priorities, technical competence, and sustained optimism.