Topics: Community health workers, Motivation/incentives, Retention of health workers/reducing attrition, Training

Region and Country: Ghana

Through its Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative, Ghana has deployed over 300 auxiliary nurses in 53 of the country’s deprived districts. These nurses, who receive two years of training and the title Community Health Officer (CHO), are part of an innovative approach that shifts staff from low-impact static health centers with limited outreach to high-impact mobile community-supported services. CHOs provide doorstep services to underserved rural populations and have improved access to health services for nearly one million Ghanaians, resulting in substantial improvements in community health.