Riaz Mehr Muhammad Adeel, Jindal Rahul M
Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Professor of Surgery and Global Health Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2024 Jun 19;86(8):4608-4612. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000002290. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Following the Alma Ata declaration, SAARC countries have established their workforce of community health workers (CHWs) to address primary healthcare needs. Initially focused on maternal and child health, the countries now confront a changing healthcare landscape characterized by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mental health issues, and surgical conditions. These developments have led to the emergence of specialized CHWs tasked with managing NCDs and mental health concerns, prompting a reevaluation of the balance between specialization and maintaining a generalist approach. The effectiveness of CHWs during crises hinges on critical factors such as standardized training, opportunities for career advancement, and equitable compensation. This viewpoint makes a call to introduce a specialist category of CHW to align with evolving healthcare requirements in SAARC countries.
在《阿拉木图宣言》发布之后，南盟国家组建了社区卫生工作者队伍以满足初级医疗保健需求。这些国家最初关注孕产妇和儿童健康，如今却面临着不断变化的医疗格局，其特点是非传染性疾病、心理健康问题和外科疾病。这些发展促使出现了负责管理非传染性疾病和心理健康问题的专业社区卫生工作者，这引发了对专业化与保持通才方法之间平衡的重新评估。社区卫生工作者在危机期间的有效性取决于标准化培训、职业发展机会和公平薪酬等关键因素。这一观点呼吁引入一类专业社区卫生工作者，以符合南盟国家不断演变的医疗保健需求。
