This document is the report from a workshop that brought together public health and mobile technology experts. The group examined how the use of mobile phones and other related technology can improve health care delivery by supporting CHWs and integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) programs. The report presents scenarios that demonstrate how mobile technology can be used to: bridge gaps between suppliers and health providers; give voice to community demands; and, promote recognition of high-performing CHWs.

This article profiles CHWs, including health promoters, traditional birth attendants and traditional healers, serving rural Quechua communities from Ayacucho, Peru. It uses both quantitative and qualitative information from questionnaires, personal interviews and group discussions conducted in 40 communities. The majority of CHWs in Ayacucho are men with limited education who are primarily Quechua speakers. However, health promoters were typically young and high school graduates, while traditional healers and birth attendants were generally older and illiterate.

This case study details the “Accelerating Contraceptive Use Project” managed by MSH in Afghanistan between 2004 and 2006. Through the project, four Afghan NGOs, MSH and the Ministry of Public Health worked with CHWs to promote various contraceptive methods for birth spacing. Three components helped the project achieve success at both the community and policy levels: contraceptive technical expertise in designing safe and effective approaches to meeting birth-spacing needs; knowledge obtained from multiple international programs; and understanding of the community.

This article reports on a study assessing the performance of CHWs in the promotion of basic child health services in rural Mali. The study was conducted as a community based cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from 401 child caregivers and 72 CHWs. Analysis showed a positive influence of CHWs on family health practices. The authors conclude that providing continuous training, transport, adequate supervision and financial incentives to CHWs are among key factors to improve the work of CHWs in rural communities.

This study sought to identify best practices in deployment of community health and care workers (CHWs and CCWs). Studies conducted in each of South Africa’s 9 provinces assessed the extent to which CHW deployment has addressed important health priorities; documented success stories and lessons; and developed an understanding of the range of ways that CHW programs have evolved in the country.

This article reports on the important contributions of community health volunteers in the success of primary health care in Thailand. More than 800,000 health volunteers, including Buddhist monks and their temples, work to promote primary health care and health promotion across the country.

This article reviews Iran’s “Health Houses,” which were conceived and introduced during the country’s 1980-1988 war with Iraq. The health houses are run by trained CHWs, called behvarzan, who provide basic health care to most of the country's rural population. Female behvarz are typically responsible for child and maternal health, vaccinations, registration and administering medicines, while male behvarz deal mainly with sanitation and environmental projects. An estimated 90% of Iran's rural population receives health care at its 17,000 health houses from 30,000 CHWs.