An integrated approach of community health worker support for HIV/AIDS and TB care in Angónia district, Mozambique

Abstract

Background. The need to scale up treatment for HIV/AIDS has led to a revival in community health workers to help alleviate the health human resource crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. Community health workers have been employed in Mozambique since the 1970s, performing disparate and fragmented activities, with mixed results. Methods. A participant-observer description of the evolution of community health worker support to the health services in Angánia district, Mozambique. Results. An integrated community health team approach, established jointly by the Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières in 2007, has improved accountability, relevance, and geographical access for basic health services. Conclusion. The community health team has several advantages over 'disease-specific' community health worker approaches in terms of accountability, acceptability, and expanded access to care. © 2009 Simon et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.