Role of Community Health Workers in Provision of Health Services in Assiut Governorate, Egypt.

Background: The shortage of healthcare professionals, coupled with the expansion of health services, has made Community Health Workers (CHWs) an effective solution to bridge these gaps. The objective was to determine the actual employed services of CHWs in the health system with especial emphasis on their role in family planning services. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 CHWs from Assiut governorate using a self-administered questionnaire about sociodemographic and job characteristics together with roles and tasks performed by CHWs. Results: All CHWs in the study were female, with 51.2% being under 40 years old and 82% were recruited by the Ministry of Health and Population. CHWs primarily served mothers and children (99.2%) and were involved in health education (100%), puerperium care (99.2%), family planning (98.8%), pregnancy (97.6%) and breastfeeding (96%). They also participated in health initiatives like family planning (98.8%) and maternal and childcare (92.4%). The most common health issue observed by CHWs was chronic diseases (73.2%), while non-medical concerns included poverty (78.4%) and unemployment (78.4%). Conclusion and recommendation: CHWs offer a wide range of health services, provide health education, and actively participate in various health initiatives. The study emphasized the crucial role of CHWs in strengthening health systems, particularly in rural areas, by enhancing both coverage and quality of services. It is essential for health system stakeholders to focus on developing a training program matching a clear job description to ensure that CHWs can maximize their impact in meeting community health needs.