Working in pairs: male–female village health volunteers supporting maternal health and community engagement in remote and ethnic communities of Lao PDR—a qualitative study

The male-female VHV/VHWs model may enhance access to MCH services by engaging men and women in complementary roles tailored to local contexts. To maximize its potential, institutional commitment is needed to formalize pair-based training, address gender barriers in recruitment, and strengthen community- and policy-level support systems for CHWs. Given the 2023 PHC policy, embedding gender-sensitive and context-specific approaches into guidelines and training manuals may be critical for aligning service delivery with sociocultural realities and ensuring responsiveness to the unique needs of remote communities.