This is a narrative review whose objective is to understand the state of the art of the literature on Community Health Workers (CHW) programs in the world, identifying their nomenclatures, practices, training and working conditions. The great concentration of CHW programs still occurs in low- and middle-income countries in Africa (18), Asia (12) and Latin America (05), with a few experiences in high-income countries in North America (02) and Oceania (01). In total, 38 experiences were cataloged, and the practices of care, surveillance, education, health communication, administrative practices, intersectoral articulation and social mobilization were described. The levels and duration of CHW training were characterized, as well as the different working conditions in each country. Much of the work is precarious, often voluntary and carried out by women. The review provided a comparative overview that can contribute to enrich the view of managers and decision makers in contexts of implementation, expansion and reconfiguration of such programs.
Keywords:
Community health workers, Primary health care, Health policy, Public health, Workforce
Deus e Méllo, L.M.B., Santos, R.C., Albuquerque, P.C.. Community Health Workers: what do international studies say?. Cien Saude Colet [periódico na internet] (2022/Aug). [Citado em 21/01/2025].
Está disponível em: http://cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/en/articles/community-health-workers-what-do-international-studies-say/18476?id=18476
