Archive | 2019
Community Health Workers and The Promotion of Health Care Services in Gasabo District, Rwanda
Abstract
Health care is a primary need of human being. Life expectancy as an indicator of Human Development is below 40 years in most developing countries due to high Maternal Mortality Rate, HIV prevalence, Infant Mortality rate, Malaria prevalence and many other related diseases. This study examined the importance of Community Health Workers (CHWs) role in promoting Health Care services in Gasabo District of Rwanda.\xa0 A simple random sampling method with the use of a self-administered questionnaire to get primary data was used as well as a literature review for secondary data. The target population was 1500 CHWs with a sample size of 183 CHWs.\xa0 55.6% of CHWs have a role of monitoring Malnutrition & growth for children under the age of 5years, 43.2% monitor women during their pregnancy period and diagnose and treat Malaria, Diarrhoea & Pneumonia for children under 5 years old. Other roles of CHWs include; providing health education (43% of CHWs), providing Family Planning services to women (24%), and sensitizing the community for HIV/AIDS testing (14.3%), psychosocial support (11%) and Vaccination (9.8%). The challenges faced by CHWs to accomplish their roles include; transportation facilitation (39.9%), limited time (32.8%), negative perception by communities (37.7%) and no monthly salary pay (38.8%). Although the work of CHWs in Rwanda is voluntary, however, the Ministry of Health should invest more in their work through the provision of transportation facilitation and motivational incentives CHWs.