Table 1

Community health worker (CHW) package of care, provided at the patient’s doorstep (intervention arm) or at the CHW’s health site (both arms)

CHW servicesDescription
Diagnosis and treatment of malaria, all ages*
  • Diagnosis and treatment of simple cases of malaria for patients of all ages, and accompaniment of patients of all ages with severe malaria to public PHC.

iCCM of common childhood illnesses*
  • Diagnosis and treatment of malaria, diarrhoeal disease and acute respiratory infection for children 2–59 months, and acute moderate malnutrition for children 6–59 months according to standard iCCM protocols.2

Detection of pregnancy
  • Pregnancy testing for women whose last menstrual period occurred more than 6 weeks before the date of the visit.

Family planning services*
  • Contraceptive counselling, administration (oral contraceptives, depo provera, condoms) or referral (IUD, implants, sterilisation) for women who test negative for pregnancy and women or men who request family planning.

Accompaniment or referral to PHC for danger signs, all ages*
  • Screening of sick patients of all ages for a list of predefined danger signs that indicate either immediate accompaniment or referral to public PHC.

  • Referral of pregnant women to public PHC for prenatal consultation, facility-based delivery and postnatal care.

Follow-up care
  • 24 hours follow-up for patients of all ages after referral to public PHC.

  • 24, 48 and 72 hours follow-up after treatment of malaria (all ages) or iCCM (children under 5); additional follow-up according to standard iCCM protocols.2

  • Follow-up and danger sign monitoring throughout pregnancy (2 weeks throughout her pregnancy, and every week in the final month until delivery) and postpartum period (24 hours, 48 hours, 5 days and once per week until 48 days after delivery).

Newborn assessment*
  • Conduct of newborn assessment to provide counselling and screen for danger signs at 24 hours, 48 hours, 120 hours, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days.

Health promotion and disease prevention*
  • Counselling for patients and families for disease prevention using behavioural change communication techniques.

  • *These services are also offered by conventional CHWs in the Malian context, according to the Ministry of Health’s policy on CHW care.27

  • iCCM, integrated community case management; IUD, intrauterine device; PHC, primary health centre.