Scope of actions of community health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic: literature review

Abstract

The objective of this article was to systematize scientific evidence on the work of community health workers during the pandemic period between 2020 and 2022 in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The methodology used was literature review and evidence synthesis in the PubMed and Web of Science databases referring to international scientific productions on the community health workers’ actions. A total of 23 studies were selected for analysis in the categories: characterization of studies; scope of routine actions; and changes in the work process during the pandemic. The scope of the program of these professionals was presented in different ways in the countries studied. Even with interruptions or adaptations, some routine actions were maintained. However, its attributions suffered considerable changes due to the need for social distancing, especially the use of technologies. Strong evidence of its relevance was identified in countries that had or did not have the community health workers program previously. Thus, in view of the comprehensive scope of action, the community health workers should not constitute a temporary solution and not integrated with the formal health organization, but as a fundamental part of a health system to achieve the improvement of the population quality of life.

Keywords:
community health workers; primary health care; pandemic; COVID-19