Development assistance for community health workers in 114 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2017

Lay health workers in primary and community health care for maternal and child health and the management of infectious diseases

Lewin, S. A., Munabi-Babigumira, S. K., Glenton, C., Daniels, K., Bosch‐Capblanch, X., van Wyk, B. E., Odgaard‐Jensen, J., Johansen, M., Aja, G. N., Zwarenstein, M., et al. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004015.pub3 · Cited by 986 · see citing works

Community health workers in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: an overview of their history, recent evolution, and current effectiveness

Perry, H. B., Zulliger, R., & Rogers, M. M. (2014) · Annual Review of Public Health · doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182354 · Cited by 944 · see citing works

Public financing of health in developing countries: a cross-national systematic analysis

Lu, C., Schneider, M., Gubbins, P., Leach‐Kemon, K., Jamison, D. T. T., & Murray, C. J. L. (2010) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60233-4 · Cited by 525 · see citing works

Effectiveness of community health workers delivering preventive interventions for maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Gilmore, B., & McAuliffe, É. (2013) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-847 · Cited by 465 · see citing works

The Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a lay counsellor-delivered brief psychological treatment for severe depression, in primary care in India: a randomised controlled trial

Patel, V., Weobong, B., Weiss, H. A., Anand, A., Bhat, B., Katti, B., Dimidjian, S., Araya, R., Hollon, S. D., King, M., et al. (2017) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31589-6 · Cited by 448 · see citing works

Health policy and system support to optimise community health worker programmes: an abridged WHO guideline

Cometto, G., Ford, N. P., Zambruni, J. P., Akl, E. A., Lehmann, U., McPake, B., Ballard, M., Kok, M. C., Najafizada, M., Olaniran, A., et al. (2018) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(18)30482-0 · Cited by 270 · see citing works

1 million community health workers in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015

Singh, P., & Sachs, J. D. (2013) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)62002-9 · Cited by 267 · see citing works

Effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention led by female community health volunteers versus usual care in blood pressure reduction (COBIN): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial

Neupane, D., McLachlan, C. S., Mishra, S. R., Olsen, M. H., Perry, H. B., Karki, A., & Kallestrup, P. (2017) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(17)30411-4 · Cited by 198 · see citing works

Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community–based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 8. summary and recommendations of the Expert Panel

Black, R. E., Taylor, C. E., Arole, S., Bang, A., Bhutta, Z. A., Chowdhury, A. M. R., Kirkwood, B. R., Kureshy, N., Lanata, C. F., Phillips, J. F., et al. (2017) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.07.010908 · Cited by 182 · see citing works

Universal Health Coverage for Inclusive and Sustainable Development: A Synthesis of 11 Country Case Studies

Maeda, A., Araújo, E., Cashin, C., Harris, J., Ikegami, N., & Reich, M. R. (2014) · World Bank, Washington, DC eBooks · doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-0297-3 · Cited by 144 · see citing works

Mitigation of non-communicable diseases in developing countries with community health workers

Mishra, S. R., Neupane, D., Preen, D. B., Kallestrup, P., & Perry, H. B. (2015) · Globalization and Health · doi:10.1186/s12992-015-0129-5 · Cited by 113 · see citing works

Deployment of community health workers across rural sub-Saharan Africa: financial considerations and operational assumptions

McCord, G. C., Liu, A., & Singh, P. (2012) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.12.109660 · Cited by 104 · see citing works

Community health workers improve disease control and medication adherence among patients with diabetes and/or hypertension in Chiapas, Mexico: an observational stepped-wedge study

Newman, P. M., Franke, M. F., Arrieta, J., Carrasco, H., Elliott, P. F., Flores, H., Friedman, A. K., Graham, S., Martínez‐Juárez, L. A., Palazuelos, L., et al. (2018) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000566 · Cited by 93 · see citing works

Provision of DMPA by community health workers: what the evidence shows

Malarcher, S., Meirik, O., Lebetkin, E., Shah, I., Spieler, J., & Stanback, J. (2010) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2010.08.013 · Cited by 92 · see citing works

Assessing Development Assistance for Mental Health in Developing Countries: 2007–2013

Gilbert, B. J., Patel, V., Farmer, P. E., & Lu, C. (2015) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001834 · Cited by 87 · see citing works

Community health and equity of outcomes: the Partners In Health experience

Palazuelos, D., Farmer, P. E., & Mukherjee, J. S. (2018) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(18)30073-1 · Cited by 87 · see citing works

Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community–based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 3. neonatal health findings

Sacks, E., Freeman, P. A., Sakyi, K. S., Jennings, M. C., Rassekh, B. M., GUPTA, S. K., & Perry, H. B. (2017) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.07.010903 · Cited by 86 · see citing works

Community health worker programmes after the 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak

Perry, H. B., Dhillon, R. S., Liu, A., Chitnis, K., Panjabi, R., Palazuelos, D., Koffi, A. K., Kandeh, J., Camara, M., Camara, R., et al. (2016) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.15.164020 · Cited by 85 · see citing works

Proactive community case management and child survival in periurban Mali

Johnson, A. D., Thiero, O., Whidden, C., Poudiougou, B., Diakité, D., Traoré, F., Samaké, S., Koné, D., Cissé, I., & Kayentao, K. (2018) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000634 · Cited by 76 · see citing works

Cost–effectiveness of community-based practitioner programmes in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kenya

McPake, B., Edoka, I., Witter, S., Kielmann, K., Taegtmeyer, M., Dieleman, M. A., Vaughan, K., Gama, E. M., Kok, M. C., Datiko, D. G., et al. (2015) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.14.144899 · Cited by 60 · see citing works

Countdown to 2015: changes in official development assistance to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, and assessment of progress between 2003 and 2012

Arregocés-Castillo, L., Daly, F., Pitt, C., Hsu, J., Martínez-Álvarez, M., Greco, G., MILLS, A. J., Berman, P., & Borghi, J. (2015) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(15)00057-1 · Cited by 56 · see citing works

Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community–based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 4. child health findings

Freeman, P. A., Schleiff, M., Sacks, E., Rassekh, B. M., Gupta, S., & Perry, H. B. (2017) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.07.010904 · Cited by 55 · see citing works

Expanding the population coverage of evidence–based interventions with community health workers to save the lives of mothers and children: an analysis of potential global impact using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST)

Chou, V. B., Friberg, I. K., Christian, M., Walker, N., & Perry, H. B. (2017) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.07.020401 · Cited by 53 · see citing works

Revisiting community-based distribution programs: are they still needed?

Prata, N., Vahidnia, F., Potts, M., & Dries-Daffner, I. (2005) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2005.06.059 · Cited by 50 · see citing works

Comprehensive review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community–based primary health care in improving maternal, neonatal and child health: 2. maternal health findings

Jennings, M. C., Pradhan, S., Schleiff, M., Sacks, E., Freeman, P. A., GUPTA, S. K., Rassekh, B. M., & Perry, H. B. (2017) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.07.010902 · Cited by 50 · see citing works

Effectiveness and sustainability of a diagonal investment approach to strengthen the primary health-care system in Ethiopia

Assefa, Y., Tesfaye, D., Damme, W. V., & Hill, P. S. (2018) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)32215-3 · Cited by 47 · see citing works

11 years of tracking aid to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health: estimates and analysis for 2003–13 from the Countdown to 2015

Grollman, C., Arregocés-Castillo, L., Martínez-Álvarez, M., Pitt, C., MILLS, A. J., & Borghi, J. (2016) · The Lancet Global Health · doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(16)30304-7 · Cited by 45 · see citing works

Donor Funding for Newborn Survival: An Analysis of Donor-Reported Data, 2002–2010

Pitt, C., Lawn, J. E., Ranganathan, M., MILLS, A. J., & Hanson, K. (2012) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001332 · Cited by 43 · see citing works

Global Development Assistance for Adolescent Health From 2003 to 2015

Li, Z., Li, M., Patton, G. C., & Lu, C. (2018) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.1072 · Cited by 42 · see citing works

Ending preventable child death in a generation

Glass, R. I., Guttmacher, A. E., & Black, R. E. (2012) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2012.7357 · Cited by 37 · see citing works

Towards ending preventable child deaths

Chan, M., & Lake, A. (2012) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60908-8 · Cited by 23 · see citing works

Assessing development assistance for child survival between 2000 and 2014: A multi-sectoral perspective

Lu, C., Chu, A., Li, Z., Shen, J., Subramanian, S. V., & Hill, K. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178887 · Cited by 11 · see citing works

Supplementary file.docx

Lu, C., Palazuelos, D., Luan, Y., et al. (2019) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.10024835

Community health workers at the dawn of a new era: 11. CHWs leading the way to “Health for All”

Perry, H. B., Chowdhury, M., Were, M., LeBan, K., Crigler, L., Lewin, S., Musoke, D., Kok, M., Scott, K., Ballard, M., et al. (2021) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-021-00755-5 · Cited by 129 · see citing works

Community health workers at the dawn of a new era: 1. Introduction: tensions confronting large-scale CHW programmes

Hodgins, S., Kok, M. C., Musoke, D., Lewin, S. A., Crigler, L., LeBan, K., & Perry, H. B. (2021) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-021-00752-8 · Cited by 104 · see citing works

Community health workers at the dawn of a new era: 4. Programme financing

Masis, L., Gichaga, A., Zerayacob, T., Lu, C., & Perry, H. B. (2021) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-021-00751-9 · Cited by 95 · see citing works

Compensation models for community health workers: Comparison of legal frameworks across five countries

Ballard, M., Westgate, C. C., Alban, R., Choudhury, N., Adamjee, R., Schwarz, R. K., Bishop, J., McLaughlin, M., Flood, D., Finnegan, K. E., et al. (2021) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.11.04010 · Cited by 84 · see citing works

Health for the People: Past, Current, and Future Contributions of National Community Health Worker Programs to Achieving Global Health Goals

Perry, H. B., & Hodgins, S. (2021) · Global Health Science and Practice · doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00459 · Cited by 65 · see citing works

Is patient navigation a solution to the problem of "leaving no one behind"? A scoping review of evidence from low-income countries

Louart, S., Bonnet, E., & Ridde, V. (2020) · Health Policy and Planning · doi:10.1093/heapol/czaa093 · Cited by 46 · see citing works

Effect of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation in Malawi: A cluster-randomised trial

Indravudh, P. P., Fielding, K., Kumwenda, M., Nzawa, R., Chilongosi, R., Desmond, N., Nyirenda, R. K., Neuman, M., Johnson, C., Baggaley, R. C., et al. (2021) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003608 · Cited by 37 · see citing works

Mind the Global Community Health Funding Gap

Gichaga, A., Masis, L., Chandra, A., Palazuelos, D., & Wakaba, N. (2021) · Global Health: Science and Practice · doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00517 · Cited by 28 · see citing works

Community Health Worker Program Sustainability in Africa: Evidence From Costing, Financing, and Geospatial Analyses in Mali

Saint-Firmin, P. P., Diakite, B., Ward, K., Mitto, B., Stratton, S., Ortiz, C., Dutta, A., & Traoré, S. T. (2021) · Global Health Science and Practice · doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00404 · Cited by 23 · see citing works

Agentes Comunitárias de Saúde na pandemia de Covid-19: scoping review

Méllo, L. M. B. D. D. E., dos Santos, R. C., & de Albuquerque, P. C. (2022) · Saúde em Debate · doi:10.1590/0103-11042022e125 · Cited by 18 · see citing works

Applying the Community Health Worker Coverage and Capacity Tool for Time-Use Modeling for Program Planning in Rwanda and Zanzibar

Morrow, M., Sarriot, E., Nelson, A. R., Sayinzoga, F., Mukamana, B., Kayitare, E., Khamis, H., Abdalla, O., & Winfrey, W. L. (2021) · Global Health Science and Practice · doi:10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00324 · Cited by 18 · see citing works

Cost-effectiveness of community health systems strengthening: quality improvement interventions at community level to realise maternal and child health gains in Kenya

Kumar, M. B., Madan, J. J., Auguste, P., Taegtmeyer, M., Otiso, L., Bernard, C. O., Muturi, N., Mgamb, E. A., & Barasa, E. (2021) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002452 · Cited by 15 · see citing works

Evolution and effectiveness of bilateral and multilateral development assistance for health: a mixed-methods review of trends and strategic shifts (1990–2022)

Xie, S., Du, S., Huang, Y., Luo, Y., Chen, Y., Zheng, Z., Yuan, B., Xu, M., & Zhou, S. (2025) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017818 · Cited by 14 · see citing works

Pragmatic economic evaluation of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing in Malawi

Indravudh, P. P., Fielding, K., Sande, L. A., Maheswaran, H., Mphande, S., Kumwenda, M., Chilongosi, R., Nyirenda, R. K., Johnson, C., Hatzold, K., et al. (2021) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004593 · Cited by 14 · see citing works

The Journey of Zanzibar’s Digitally Enabled Community Health Program to National Scale: Implementation Report

Layer, E., Slim, S., Mussa, I., Al-mafazy, A.-W. H., Besana, G. V. R., Msellem, M. I., Fulcher, I., Hornung, H., & Lampariello, R. (2023) · JMIR Medical Informatics · doi:10.2196/48097 · Cited by 9 · see citing works

Adoption of mHealth Technologies by Community Health Workers to Improve the Use of Maternal Health Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Method Systematic Review

Kachimanga, C., Divala, T. H., Ket, J. C. F., Kulinkina, A. V., Zaniku, H. R., Murkherjee, J., Palazuelos, D., Abejirinde, I. O., & van den Akker, T. (2023) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/44066 · Cited by 6 · see citing works

Needed: a financing breakthrough at the UN High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage

Sachs, J. D., & Perry, H. B. (2023) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01924-4 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Contribution and Challenges of Community Health Workers in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Kurapati, J., & Anitha, C. T. (2022) · National Journal of Community Medicine · doi:10.55489/njcm.131220222525 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Country-led institutionalization of community health within primary health care: Reflections from a global partnership

Leydon, N., Kureshy, N., Dini, H. S., & Nefdt, R. J. C. (2021) · Journal of Global Health · doi:10.7189/jogh.11.03037 · Cited by 4 · see citing works

Community Health Workers in the Covid-19 pandemic: scoping review

Méllo, L. M. B. D. D. E., dos Santos, R. C., & de Albuquerque, P. C. (2022) · Saúde em Debate · doi:10.1590/0103-11042022e125i · Cited by 3 · see citing works

Global development assistance for early childhood care and education in 134 low- and middle-income countries, 2007–2021

Luan, Y., Hodgkin, D., Behrman, J. R., Stein, A. L., Richter, L., Cuartas, J. A., & Lu, C. (2024) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015991 · Cited by 3 · see citing works

Stakeholder Relationships And Sustainability

Isabekova, G. (2023) · Global dynamics of social policy · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-31990-7 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Sustainability of Health Assistance

Isabekova, G. (2023) · Global dynamics of social policy · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-31990-7_3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Equity effect of a community-based primary healthcare program on the incidence of childhood morbidity in rural Northern Ghana

Kanmiki, E. W., Mamun, A. A., Phillips, J. F., & O’Flaherty, M. J. (2025) · Primary Health Care Research & Development · doi:10.1017/s1463423625000106 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

ICPD at Thirty: Moving Beyond Rights Toward Justice in Global Reproductive Health

Suh, S., & Anderson, C. F. (2025) · Studies in Comparative International Development · doi:10.1007/s12116-025-09482-2 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Trends in government and donor funding for vertical and horizontal community health worker programmes in sub-Saharan Africa

Shukla, S., Mupara, L. M., Scotney, S., Palazuelos, D., Mogaka, J., Westgate, C. C., O’Donovan, J., Brieger, B., Grenade, C. L., Uwaliraye, P., et al. (2026) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2025-022085 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Transition and change: opportunities and challenges of CHW programme reform for community health systems and vertical disease programmes in Liberia

Zawolo, G. V. K., Nyaaba, G. N., Nallo, G. E., Kollie, K., Thomson, R., Raven, J., Theobald, S., & Dean, L. (2024) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/s12961-024-01211-w · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Transition and Change: Opportunities and Challenges of CHW Policy Reform for Community Health Systems and Vertical Disease Programmes in LiberiaPreprint

Zawolo, G. V. K., Nyaaba, G. N., Nallo, G. E., Kollie, K., Thomson, R., Raven, J., Theobal, S., & Dean, L. (2022) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1206036/v1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Changing Medicine, Changing Society

Sanders, D., Ceukelaire, W. D., & Hutton, B. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780192858450.003.0007

The Impact of Community Nutrition Workers on Reducing Malnutrition in Pregnant Lactating Women of Tharparkar

Malhi, P., Ahmed, T., Shaikh, Q., Baloch, N., Azeem, K., & Ali, N. A. (2025) · Indus journal of bioscience research. · doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i3.767

Essential aid made fully visible: understanding the proCHW financing landscape analysing accessible donor data sources

Baskin, C., Westgate, C. C., Shellaby, L., Ballard, M., Rogers, A., Hofmann, R., Raghavan, M., Palazuelos, D., Lindsay, S., Keronyai, P. P., et al. (2025) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017453

Factors Influencing Performance and Engagement of Community Health Workers in Maternal and Child Health Service Delivery: A Systematic Review of Literature from Low- and Middle-Income Asian CountriesPreprint

Goh, H., Lee, Y. L., Sao, K., Yoon, S., Østbye, T., & Yi, S. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5350627

Mobile Mind Mapping and Training Interventions for Non-communicable Disease Prevention in Primary Healthcare: A Systematic Review

Choudhury, C., Dash, M., Kurushev, J., & Navaneetha, M. (2026) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.107771

Mapping common job demands and job resources for large-scale community health worker programmes in Southern Africa: protocol for a scoping review

Coley, R. S., Shuro, L., Coetzee, R., & Tabana, H. (2026) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2026-116412

The potential of a “next generation” of community health workers to accelerate progress in reaching Universal Health Coverage and Health for All

Perry, H. B., Bang, A. T., Hodgins, S., Ballard, M., Sachs, J. D., Muluneh, A. Z., Chowdhury, M., Mwenda, M., & Panjabi, R. (2026) · PLOS Global Public Health · doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0007545

Trends in government and donor funding for vertical and horizontal community health worker programmes in sub-Saharan Africa

Shukla, S., Mupara, L. M., Scotney, S., Palazuelos, D., Mogaka, J., Westgate, C. C., O’Donovan, J., Brieger, B., Grenade, C. L., Uwaliraye, P., et al. (2026) · BMJ Global Health · doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2025-022085 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

China’s engagement with development assistance for health in Africa

Shajalal, M., Xu, J., Jing, J., King, M. T., Zhang, J., Wang, P., Bouey, J. Z. H., & Cheng, F. (2017) · Global Health Research and Policy · doi:10.1186/s41256-017-0045-8 · Cited by 46 · see citing works

Abstract WE453: Global Development Assistance for Cardiovascular Disease in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, 2007–2023

Nguyen, D. H., Truong, L. V., Zhong, A., Le, T., Tô, H. M., Vinh, T., Ton, B., Lin, J. C. H., Minh, L. H. N., Olaniran, O., et al. (2026) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.153.suppl_1.we453

Articles

Ravishankar, N., Gubbins, P., Cooley, R. J., Leach‐Kemon, K., Michaud, C. M., Jamison, D. T. T., Murray, C. J. L., Bill, F., & Melinda Gates Foundation (2009)

Financing of global health: tracking development assistance for health from 1990 to 2007

Ravishankar, N., Gubbins, P., Cooley, R. J., Leach‐Kemon, K., Michaud, C. M., Jamison, D. T. T., & Murray, C. J. L. (2009) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60881-3 · Cited by 558 · see citing works