Shifts in Challenges faced by Community Health Workers (CHWs) during COVID-19 in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh
N. Farnaz, F. Manzoor, W. Alam, B. Aktar, S. F. Rashid | BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University Dhaka, Bangladesh
Background
- Community Health Workers (CHWs) bridge the gap between communities living in urban informal settlements and formal health systems
- 130,000 CHWs employed in Bangladesh – 50,000 by the government, 50,000 in BRAC and rest with other NGOs
- Services provided by CHWs to meet the needs of the communities – preventative services, door-to-door visits, health education, referral etc.
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, new responsibilities and risks are faced
- Critical role in – reducing misinformation and widespread stigma, early case detection, contact tracing, provision of home-based and palliative care as well as referral for timely management of COVID-19 cases
- COVID-19 exacerbates everyday stressors for CHWs including chronic exhaustion, mistrust and mental distress
- Challenges overlooked and not properly addressed