Zimbabwe’s Village Health Worker programme dates back to the 1980s, when the country adopted Primary Health Care (PHC) as its chosen approach to health services delivery. In 1981, the government initiated the training of and support of Voluntary Health Workers (VHWs). To date, the programme has led to notable achievements in health outcomes and impact. Examples of these achievements include increased access to family planning, decreasing rates of new HIV infection, and decreasing HIV/AIDS-related mortality. We had the privilege to speak to several VHWs in Zimbabwe that shared their incredible passion for serving the community. They reiterated a very strong message that community health workers play a crucial role in health systems and should be celebrated and supported in their function. Let us hear from the amazing frontline heroes:
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Ms. Wamachi: I enjoy going to the community and helping them. Through my interactions with my community, I am able to manage stress. Though I am a volunteer, I love my job. I have a lot of relatives and friends, who have supported me in becoming a VHW. I appreciate that VHWs are treated free at the health facility. We have healthy communities.
Mr. Bondo: I enjoy meeting people and learning from them. On a typical day, I meet people and provide counselling to them. People come to me with questions that may even be sensitive in nature. This makes me feel like I am trusted and doing a great job in the community. I learn from the community as I help them. I was initially very skeptical about serving women in the community, but so far, the women are comfortable around me. I would encourage men to join the programme as well.
Ms. Kamundaranga. I am happy to say that I was the first VHW in my community. Through my work, people in the community I live in know the importance of going to health facilities for treatment when they are ill. I work with patients who suffer from different ailments, and willingly help them. They freely associate with me because I am from the community.
What are some of the activities you perform, in your role?
Ms. Mashoko: I educate my community on how to prevent diseases by observing hygiene. We sometimes go to visit members of religious sects that shun modern medicine and educate them on the importance of receiving medical interventions such as immunization and treatment of ailments.
Ms. Mutize: I am involved in many health programmes such as immunization. I work with many people such as the disabled, vulnerable children, orphans, and the elderly. I educate the community on hospital delivery and early ANC bookings hence reducing home deliveries. I distribute LLITNS (bed nets) and share the importance of Vitamin A for children under 5. I encourage women to go for cervical cancer screening, men to go for voluntary male circumcision and all to go HIV and TB screening. Nowadays, we do not have bed-ridden people in the community as they are referred early to the health facility
What would you want the world to know about Zimbabwe’s VHW programme?
Ms. Mashoko: VHWs are able to reach the last mile, which other formal health workers would not be able to
Ms. Mutize: VHWs have love and care for the entire community. Even those that are not ill receive health information on HIV and put on ARVs if necessary. Now people do not die from HIV anymore but from diabetes and cancer.
Ms. Kamundaranga. VHWs want to be respected and recognized by people in the formal health system. While we may not be educated and our job is not high profile, we are in the community and help those in the community.