The role of a structured community health worker network in achieving malaria elimination goals in the Dominican Republic
An impact evaluation amid Covid-19 disruptions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19594559 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nicole Michelén Ströfer (0009-0006-7075-3747, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author), Natalia Tejada Bueno (0009-0004-8182-8631, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author), María Yinet Santos Félix (corresponding author), Jose Luis Cruz Raposo (corresponding author), Justin T Lana (0000-0002-6443-2211, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author), Valérian Turbé (0000-0002-4979-197X, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author), Harriet Napier (0000-0001-8788-6796, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author), Justin M Cohen (0000-0003-4481-6784, Clinton Health Access Initiative, corresponding author) |
| Editors | Nirbhay Kumar (0000-0002-0358-4924) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | e0003648 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375 |
| Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003648 |
| PMID | 39693305 |
| OpenAlex | W4405523842 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
Community health workers (CHWs) can play a key role in malaria elimination through expanding access to malaria testing and treatment. The Dominican Republic, a low endemic country committed to eliminate malaria by 2025, implemented a structured malaria CHW network in the three main urban foci of Greater Santo Domingo. This research quantifies the networks’ contributions towards malaria elimination from its implementation in 2019 until 2022. The study highlights the impact of COVID-19 disruptions on CHWs’ performance and explores the network’s ability to bounce back from health systems’ shocks. The performance of the malaria CHW network was evaluated using weekly data collected from CHWs and routinely collected surveillance data from the Ministry of Public Health (MoH). We assess performance of CHWs by analyzing key variables including (1) reporting compliance, (2) household visitation rates, (3) malaria rapid diagnostic tests performed, (4) malaria cases detected, and (5) time between symptom onset and malaria diagnosis. To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the network, CHW’s performance indicators are evaluated across three time periods (prior to, during, and after COVID-19 interruptions). Over the evaluation period, reported malaria cases in study foci decreased from 1,243 cases in 2019 to 6 cases in 2022. CHWs diagnosed and treated over 43% of malaria cases in study foci before COVID-19 interruptions and 14% during interruptions. 83% of cases detected by CHWs were detected through active case detection, with 17% detected passively. CHWs detected malaria cases and initiated treatment 1.5 days earlier than health facilities and MoH personnel performing active case detection. This evaluation provides evidence that a structured CHW network with clearly defined responsibilities and management protocol can help curb local malaria transmission. It adds to a growing body of research on the feasibility and benefits of CHW-led proactive household visitation
Christian ministry · Disease · Environmental health · Health facility · Health services · Malaria · Pathology · Political science · Population · Public health · Global Maternal and Child Health · Malaria Research and Control · Medicine · Mosquito-borne diseases and control · Nursing · Immunology
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |