Giving Compass' Take:

• India Development Review explores the potential of training up community health workers in rural India as one big step towards universal care. 

• Are there enough resources to maximize the impact of these informal health care providers? What are the dangers to relying on such a disparate network?

• Here's more on understanding what community health workers in India do.


As a pragmatic step towards universal health coverage, the states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar are training [community health] providers as paramedics. An evaluation of the early training in West Bengal has shown significant gains in case management. Informal providers have also been engaged in many successful public health initiatives such as UNICEF’s (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) Social Mobilization Network for polio eradication, in reaching out to tuberculosis patients and reporting epidemics, and for distribution of ORS (oral rehydration solution) and zinc, and contraceptive methods like condoms and pills.

There is further potential for involving them in screening for non-communicable diseases and in doing systematic triage and referrals. They can be trained to manage emergencies as first responders and for spreading the right messages about health and hygiene as they are an important source of knowledge and advice for communities.

Read the full article about informal rural heath care providers at India Development Review.