College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.
Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria.
PLoS One. 2022 Mar 8;17(3):e0265092. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265092. eCollection 2022.
Community Health Workers are globally recognised as crucial members of healthcare systems in low and middle-income countries, but their role and experience during COVID-19 is not well-understood. This study aimed to explore factors that influence CHWs' ability and willingness to work in the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos.
A generic qualitative study exploring Community Health Workers experiences and perceptions of working during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria.
15 semi-structured, in-depth, video interviews were conducted with Community Health Workers purposively sampled across seven of Lagos' Local Government Areas with the highest COVID-19 burden. Interviews explored Community Health Workers' attitudes towards COVID-19, its management, and their experiences working in Lagos. Data was analysed thematically using the framework method.
Three main themes were identified. 1. Influences on ability to undertake COVID-19 Role: Trust and COVID-19 knowledge were found to aid Community Health Workers in their work. However, challenges included exhaustion due to an increased workload, public misconceptions about COVID-19, stigmatisation of COVID-19 patients, delayed access to care and lack of transportation. 2. Influences on willingness to work in COVID-19 Role: Community Health Workers' perceptions of COVID-19, attitudes towards responsibility for COVID-19 risk at work, commitment and faith appeared to increase willingness to work. 3. Suggested Improvements: Financial incentives, provision of adequate personal protective equipment, transportation, and increasing staff numbers were seen as potential strategies to address many of the challenges faced.
Despite Community Health Workers being committed to their role, they have faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Changes to their working environment may make their role during disease outbreaks more fulfilling and sustainable. International input is required to enhance Nigeria's policies and infrastructure to better support Community Health Workers during both current and future outbreaks.
社区卫生工作者在全球范围内被认为是中低收入国家医疗体系中不可或缺的成员，但他们在 COVID-19 期间的角色和经验尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨影响拉各斯社区卫生工作者在 COVID-19 大流行期间工作能力和意愿的因素。
一项探索拉各斯社区卫生工作者在 COVID-19 大流行期间工作经验和看法的定性研究。
对拉各斯七个 COVID-19 负担最重的地方政府地区的社区卫生工作者进行了 15 次半结构化、深入的视频访谈。访谈探讨了社区卫生工作者对 COVID-19 的态度、其管理方式以及在拉各斯工作的经验。使用框架方法对数据进行主题分析。
确定了三个主要主题。1. 影响承担 COVID-19 角色的能力：信任和 COVID-19 知识被发现有助于社区卫生工作者开展工作。然而，挑战包括因工作量增加而导致的疲惫、公众对 COVID-19 的误解、对 COVID-19 患者的污名化、延迟获得护理和缺乏交通。2. 影响从事 COVID-19 角色的意愿：社区卫生工作者对 COVID-19 的看法、对工作中 COVID-19 风险的责任态度、承诺和信念似乎增加了工作意愿。3. 建议的改进措施：提供财政激励、充足的个人防护设备、交通和增加员工人数被视为解决所面临挑战的潜在策略。
尽管社区卫生工作者致力于自己的角色，但他们在尼日利亚 COVID-19 大流行期间面临许多挑战。改变他们的工作环境可能会使他们在疾病爆发期间的角色更加充实和可持续。需要国际投入来加强尼日利亚的政策和基础设施，以更好地在当前和未来的疫情期间支持社区卫生工作者。
