CHW Project


FPD, in collaboration with I-TECH funded through the CDC, trained an estimated 7000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) and 700 Outreach Team Leaders (OTLs) in two provinces, namely Eastern Cape and Free State, in several priority districts from October 2018 over a 12-month period. 

In this skills development initiative to ensure that CHWs are trained and able to manage common conditions while surveying households, relevant and accessible knowledge and skills are core requirements. The curriculum covered the primary health care package, i.e., the basics of HIV prevention and treatment, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), tuberculosis, adherence to treatment, antenatal care, pregnancy, the essence of child health, hypertension and diabetes.

The teaching approach took a cascade approach. Master Trainers from the Department of Health, were trained and supported by project funded FPD Master Trainers and mentors during the lifespan of the project. This initiative provided much needed support to the Department of Health in the various districts to ensure successful implementation of the Community Healthcare Programme, an essential building block in the primary care package. 

FPD and I-TECH took responsibility for quality assurance and conducted formative and summative assessments and evaluations to ensure that the integrated learning approach was effectively implemented. All trained CHWs had to complete a skills assessment.