Community health workers’ role in fight against pandemic

Community Health Workers (CHWs) also known as Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), have for decades delivered essential primary health services to populations in the world’s remotest regions.

In Kenya, the terms CHWs and CHVs are used interchangeably, and because of the word “volunteer”, these health workers are often expected to work without pay. CHWs/CHVs are not paid despite the vital health services they provide; shouldering the burden of an excessive workload often linked to rapid population growth.