Community health workers are the cornerstone of health system
The programme lead for Grow Great Champions, Nicola Eley said celebrating community health workers is a way of saying thank you to a workforce that brings value to the community.
POLOKWANE – Under the theme ‘celebrating our heroes and building a stronger community health worker workforce’, community health workers were recently celebrated for the important work they do in homes and communities across South Africa.
Community Health Worker’s Day was first commemorated by Grow Great Champions in 2019 and has become an annual event to recognise and celebrate South Africa’s community health workers during International Health Worker Week.
Grow Great Champions programme lead Nicola Eley explained that community health workers assist individuals to access health, social services and provide household and community education.
“These workers play an important role in extending health care to rural areas and as trusted sources of support and information to the families they visit. They cater to the needs of the entire family, young and old, and have a positive impact on the health and well being of entire communities,” she said.
Community health workers provide basic primary healthcare services in homes and are the bridge that connects families to healthcare and social support services.
Elay said that celebrating these workers is a way of saying thank you to the workforce for the value that they bring to our communities.
“If the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it is that community health workers remain the cornerstone of our health system. They were the first to be called on to support the government’s response, and yet they are often the last to receive recognition, support, and resources, if at all. Many CHWs were screening households without the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep them safe.”
Elay said these workers would be better able to deliver adequate, appropriate and quality nutrition, health, early learning, and social support interventions to the families they serve if they are supported, affirmed, recognized, motivated, and resourced with training, knowledge, and growth monitoring equipment.
However, she added that, in South Africa, the roughly 50 000 workforce frequently do not receive this level of support.
