Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36069652›Full record

ArticleHealth policy and planning2023

Examining the gender imbalance in the National Community Health Assistant Programme in Liberia: a qualitative analysis of policy and Programme implementation.

Sali Hafez, Bob Mwiinga Munyati, Katie Zeno, Catherine K Z Gbozee, Mbalu Jusu, Mantue S Reeves, C Sanford Wesseh, S Olasford Wiah, Mohammed AlKhaldi, Kristin Johnson and 1 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health policy and planning, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Sali HafezDepartment of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 9 Tavistock PI, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1051-1819
Bob Mwiinga MunyatiDepartment of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 9 Tavistock PI, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-7425-1385
Katie ZenoAmerican University School of International Service, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016, United States.
Catherine K Z GbozeeCuttington Graduate School of Professional Study and Health System Strengthening Unit, Last Mile Health Liberia, 77C6+984, Monrovia, Liberia.
Mbalu JusuDepartment of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 9 Tavistock PI, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom.
Mantue S ReevesMekelle University and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Unit, Last Mile Health Liberia, 77C6+984, Monrovia, Liberia.
C Sanford WessehThe Department of Health and Vital Statistics, the Ministry of Health, SKD Boulevard, Congo Town 1000, Monrovia, Liberia.
S Olasford WiahDirector, Community Health Services Division, the Ministry of Health, SKD Boulevard, Congo Town 1000, Monrovia, Liberia.
Mohammed AlKhaldiFaculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Person-Centred Health Informatics Research-PCHI lab, McGill University, 3605 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada.
Kristin JohnsonDepartment of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
Marion SubahDepartment of Nursing, Catholic University of America, United States and Country Director, Last Mile Health Liberia, 77C6+984, Monrovia, Liberia.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBUniversity of Liberia · LRAmerican University · USBoston University · USMcGill University Health Centre · CA

Funding

Last Mile Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Revised National Community Health Services Policy (2016-2021) (RNCHSP) and its programme implementation, the Liberian National Community Health Assistant Programme (NCHAP), exhibit a critical gender imbalance among the Community Health Assistants (CHAs) as only 17% are women. This study was designed to assess the gender responsiveness of the RNCHSP and its programme implementation in five counties across Liberia to identify opportunities to improve gender equity in the programme. Using qualitative methods, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with policymakers and 32 with CHAs, other members of the community health workforce and community members. The study found that despite the Government of Liberia's intention to prioritize women in the recruitment and selection of CHAs, the planning and implementation of the RNCHSP were not gender responsive. While the role of community structures, such as Community Health Committees, in the nomination and selection of CHAs is central to community ownership of the programme, unfavourable gender norms influenced women's nomination to become CHAs. Cultural, social and religious perceptions and practices of gender created inequitable expectations that negatively influenced the recruitment of women CHAs. In particular, the education requirement for CHAs posed a significant barrier to women's nomination and selection as CHAs, due to disparities in access to education for girls in Liberia. The inequitable gender balance of CHAs has impacted the accessibility, acceptability and affordability of community healthcare services, particularly among women. Strengthening the gender responsiveness within the RNCHSP and its programme implementation is key to fostering gender equity among the health workforce and strengthening a key pillar of the health system. Employing gender responsive policies and programme will likely increase the effectiveness of community healthcare services.

Indexed as

Community Health ServicesPublic HealthFemaleGender IdentityHealth PolicyHumansLiberiaMaleCommunity health workersgendergender assessmentgender equitygender responsivenesshealth policyhealth workforceLiberia

Identifiers

PMID36069652
PMCPMC9923372
OpenAlexW4294917544

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.