Health Worker Programme

Save the Children worked with GSK and partners for ten years to deliver the Health Worker Programme. This programme focused on training frontline health workers and improving access to healthcare, particularly in remote communities. From 2011 to 2021, Save the Children carried out health worker programmes in 19 countries, strengthening maternal and child health services, improving community awareness and demand for services, and advocating for more human resources and increased investment in healthcare.

Programme highlights 

Training Community Health Workers 

As a vital link between formal health services and remote areas, Community Health Workers provide advice, treatment, and referrals in their local areas. Through our Health Worker Programme, we trained and supported more than 16,000 health workers - primarily Community Health Workers - to provide essential health and nutrition services to children and families where limited quality healthcare is available.  

The right to quality care 

We worked together with community members and groups to raise awareness and knowledge of healthy practices. We educated communities to recognise and prevent diseases and how to access health services, emphasizing their right to quality care. 

Increasing investment in health 

We worked closely with Government officials in health worker programme countries, advocating for stronger maternal and child health policies and greater investment in healthcare systems both locally and nationally. We also partnered with communities and civil society organisations to hold the Ministry of Health to account for a well-resourced, effective health system. 

Stories

Rosemary's story

Rosemary is a nurse working on the specialist ward for premature babies. Between 30 to 40 babies are born prematurely here every month. Rosemary has over 20 years of experience as a midwife. Rosemary has received extra training as part of the Save the Children and GSK partnership. This includes helping mothers with Kangaroo Mother Care. 

Rosemary explains, “A baby who is under incubator care, power can go off and this baby will become hypothermic. But a baby who is on a mother's chest, there is constant warmth. There is also bonding - a mother learns early to bond with the child.” Rosemary also talks about the women in the community who are trained as champions, supporting other women and their families to practice Kangaroo Mother Care. 

Stanny's story

“When I am in the fields, I am happy to see the fruit of my harvest. And when I am with the sick, I am excited to care for them,” says community healthcare worker Mbuyi Mutombo Stanny. 

As a Community Health Worker, Stanny works in his community in Kasaï-Oriental Province caring for youngsters aged two months and up, some suffering from tuberculosis, malaria, fevers, stomach aches and coughs.  

Along with treating illnesses, he also plays an active role in preventative healthcare. “We do not miss an opportunity to advise parents,” he explains. “We also raise awareness in the homes, which allows us to find the sick. In the case of serious cases, we transfer them to the health centre for more appropriate care.”  

The construction of the health centre has had an enormous impact on the village. “If this site did not exist, we would have had many deaths in the village,” says Stanny. “The mortality rate of children was 80% before the creation of this site.” 

Stanny, who was chosen by the villagers to become a Community Health Worker, says they suffer from some equipment shortages – such as bins and boots – but do their “best to meet the needs of the community”.  

“I do a great job for our village, taking care of my relatives and other members of the community. In addition, I have knowledge about many things – that’s my advantage.” 

image credit

Jonathan Hyams / Save the Children | Yagazie Emezi / Save the Children | Sacha Myers / Save the Children | Linh Pham/ Save the Children | Fredrik Lerneryd / Save the Children | Léonard Pongo / Save the Children