The Role of Community Health Workers in the COVID-19 Response in the Caribbean, an exploratory study

Abstract

Abstract Background Pandemics begin and end in communities and to manage them, community engagement must be a priority. The use of community health workers (CHWs) during the COVID-19 response is key to engaging communities and strengthening their capacity to limit the spread of disease. Integration of CHWs into health systems is a key enabler and integral to their success and requires inclusion of CHWs into health policies. This thesis aims at exploring the role of CHW in the COVID-19 response in the Caribbean countries to identify practices which can potentially form basis for subregional policy and contribute to capacity building within human resources for health and health system strengthening in the subregion. Methods An exploratory study using a mixed-methods approach of reviewing policies and grey literature detailing COVID-19 community health initiatives, and key-informant interviews (KIIs) in the Caribbean. Results Preliminary results from the policy review finds that CHWs have been widely used in infection prevention and control, as well as for providing psycho-social support to vulnerable populations and supporting the delivery of basic health services. However, few formal policies on the work of CHWs are available. KIIs are yet to be conducted and may yet contribute new knowledge. Conclusions While CHWs have been widely used during the COVID-19 response in the Caribbean, the apparent lack of formal policies may be a barrier to their success. Developing such policy will not only strengthen community health interventions against COVID-19, but also support Caribbean countries in how to strengthen their post-COVID-19 health workforces and improve sanitary emergency response preparedness. The findings of this exploratory study can contribute to developing health policy guidelines on CHWs in the Caribbean. Key messages Community health workers are key for engaging and supporting communities and vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned on community health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic should be integrated into health policies to strengthen the health workforce and improve sanitary emergency preparedness.