Community health workers and health equity in low- and middle-income countries: systematic review and recommendations for policy and practice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The deployment of Community Health Workers (CHWs) is widely promoted as a strategy for reducing health inequities in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Yet there is limited evidence on whether and how CHW programmes achieve this. This systematic review aimed to synthesise research findings on the following questions: (1) How effective are CHW interventions at reaching the most disadvantaged groups in LMIC contexts? and (2) What evidence exists on whether and how these programmes reduce health inequities in the populations they serve?

Methods

We searched six academic databases for recent (2014-2020) studies reporting on CHW programme access, utilisation, quality, and effects on health outcomes/behaviours in relation to potential stratifiers of health opportun

SUBMITTER: Ahmed S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8996551 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature