Acknowledging the Role of Community Health Workers in Providing Essential Healthcare Services in Rural India-A Review

Abstract

In underserved communities, the community health worker (CHW) concept has been employed to improve health and lessen unfavourable health consequences. In India's rural healthcare delivery system, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), accredited social health activists (ASHA workers), and Anganwadi workers (AWWs) are the primary field-level frontline officials who come into direct contact with the population. They bear a large portion of the burden of carrying out health services. This review investigated the various contributions made by these CHWs, ANMs, ASHA workers, and AWWs to the advancement of basic healthcare in Indian rural areas. The goal of reviewing this paper was to learn more about what CHWs do to provide the target demographic with high-quality healthcare. A thorough literature search was conducted using crucial databases including PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar. Recent studies were examined to determine how well CHWs perform essential healthcare services in low and middle-income nations. Numerous studies demonstrate how their work has a good effect on society. The length of time CHWs spend at work each day and how well they perform as a whole depends on several variables. This review study showed that, globally, there is a growing interest in CHWs' performance. In terms of incentives, pay, and training expenses, CHWs are thought to be a more affordable option than other types of health workers. They are recognised as the main factors in providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare services, achieving enhanced neonatal and maternal health and the development of children and adolescents. The current review also examined previous studies on the work done by CHWs and their potential benefits for enhancing primary healthcare in rural India. It focused on the routine work done by these health workers to increase service accessibility and access to high-quality healthcare, particularly for individuals living in rural areas. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate the functions and general status of community health workers (CHWs), as well as recognise their role, to improve their efficiency in providing basic healthcare services to society and make necessary changes in the future.