ArticleGlobal health action2017
Working with community health workers to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes: implementation and scale-up lessons from eastern Uganda.
Article in Global health action, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Leadership practices and maternal and child health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2026Pooled it
- Factors influencing the uptake of antenatal care in Uganda: a mixed methods systematic review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Pooled it
- Workload and emerging challenges of community health workers in low- and middle-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Evaluation of community health worker's performance at home-based newborn assessment supported by mHealth in rural Bangladesh.BMC pediatrics · 2022Trial
- Incentives for mothers, health workers and "boda-boda" riders to improve community-based referral process and deliveries in the rural community: a case of Busoga Region in Uganda.Reproductive health · 2022Trial
- Maternal and neonatal implementation for equitable systems. A study design paper.Global health action · 2017Trial
- Use of photovoice in health systems research: methodological considerations and experiences from Uganda.Health research policy and systems · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of a community health worker-led education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and antenatal care attendance among pregnant women in Eastern Uganda.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Article
- Understanding the unique role of community-based para-professionals delivering early childhood development in low-resource contexts: a Delphi study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Unmasking the complexities of healthcare access in low-resource settings: a health systems approach to obstetric and under-5 healthcare in rural settings of Eastern Uganda.Global health action · 2024Article
- Impact of the Timed and Targeted Counselling Model on Maternal Health Continuum of Care Outcomes in Northern Uganda: Protocol of a Quasi-Experimental Study.Methods and protocols · 2024Article
- Is Women's Engagement in Women's Development Groups Associated with Enhanced Utilization of Maternal and Neonatal Health Services? A Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Awareness of mothers coming to obstetric wards of allied hospitals regarding neonatal care and the working of community health workers in their districts.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2022Article
- Barriers in reaching new-borns and infants through home visits: A qualitative study using nexus planning framework.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- How are health workers paid and does it matter? Conceptualising the potential implications of digitising health worker payments.BMJ global health · 2022Article
- Article
- "Mothers will be lucky if utmost receive a single scheduled postnatal home visit": An exploratory qualitative study, Northern Ethiopia.PloS one · 2022Article
- Training programs to improve identification of sick newborns and care-seeking from a health facility in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
- The use of health facility data to assess the effects of armed conflicts on maternal and child health: experience from the Kivu, DR Congo.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Learnings From a Pilot Study to Strengthen Primary Health Care Services: The Community-Clinic-Centered Health Service Model in Barishal District, Bangladesh.Global health, science and practice · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPreventable maternal and newborn deaths can be averted through simple evidence-based interventions, such as the use of community health workers (CHWs), also known in Uganda as village health teams. However, the CHW strategy faces implementation challenges regarding training packages, supervision, and motivation.
objectivesThis paper explores knowledge levels of CHWs, describes the coverage of home visits, and shares lessons learnt from setting up and implementing the CHW strategy.
methodsThe CHWs were trained to conduct four home visits: two during pregnancy and two after delivery. The aim of the visits was to promote birth preparedness and utilization of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. Mixed methods of data collection were employed. Quantitative data were analyzed using Stata version 13.0 to determine the level and predictors of CHW knowledge of MNH. Qualitative data from 10 key informants and 15 CHW interviews were thematically analyzed to assess the implementation experiences.
resultsCHWs' knowledge of MNH improved from 41.3% to 77.4% after training, and to 79.9% 1 year post-training. However, knowledge of newborn danger signs declined from 85.5% after training to 58.9% 1 year later. The main predictors of CHW knowledge were age (≥ 35 years) and post-primary level of education. The level of coverage of at least one CHW visit to pregnant and newly delivered mothers was 57.3%. Notably, CHW reports complemented the facility-based health information. CHWs formed associations, which improved teamwork, reporting, and general performance, and thus maintained low dropout rates at 3.6%. Challenges included dissatisfaction with the quarterly transport refund of 6 USD and lack of means of transportation such as bicycles.
conclusionsCHWs are an important resource in community-based health information and improving demand for MNH services. However, the CHW training and supervision models require strengthening for improved performance. Local solutions regarding CHW motivation are necessary for sustainability.
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