Inspiring event this evening by USA health and community orgson what #communityhealthworkers/ #CHWs can do during COVID-19.

Great to hear of & #39;bright spots& #39; inc @BaltimoreCorps @SiloamFHC + @SDCountyHHSA using #CHWs for contact tracing & community support.

Missed it? Read on.

/n https://twitter.com/RishiManchanda/status/1293554327663996933">https://twitter.com/RishiManc...

#Communityhealthworkers are community members recruited + employed to deliver essential preventive and medical care at grassroots level.

Egs of success abound - inc HIV, TB, child immunisation, mental health

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_health_worker">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comm...

A group of academics called back in March for a programme of #CHWs, employed as part of primary care teams, to help support people with #COVID in community & with contact tracing.

I am not aware yet of any areas that have implemented this programme. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30735-2/fulltext">https://www.thelancet.com/journals/...

Speakers tonight explained how mobilising #CHWs for contact tracing allowed more grassroots approach, engaging communities more than any agency can.

With recent pivots in UK to local contact tracing teams in UK by councils, is this the next logical step? https://www.ft.com/content/b1f0fe23-a8e0-4c6c-b484-d55d6893ef6f">https://www.ft.com/content/b...

Another clear theme was how #CHWs increase #trust in actions being taken, and in prevention advice.

With #trust in govt and conventional news sources during COVID on the way https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬇️" title="Pfeil nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach unten">, could #CHWs help communities better understand how to stay safe? https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/trust-uk-government-and-news-media-covid-19-information-down-concerns-over-misinformation">https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/trust-uk-...

#CHWs appear important in areas of high diversity and disadvantage - allowing services often not reflective of communities they improve their reach.

#COVID19 has already generated stark #inequalities - could #CHWs be part of a programme to narrow them?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/908434/Disparities_in_the_risk_and_outcomes_of_COVID_August_2020_update.pdf">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/governmen...

Recruiting #CHWs from communities most hard hit by job losses and mass unemployment from the pandemic could mitigate some of these effects and demonstrate health organisations commitment to increase their #socialvalue as #anchorinstitutions

https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/anchored-in-our-community-the-role-of-the-nhs-in-addressing-health-inequalities/">https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/anch...

In the longer term? #CHWs as key members of primary care cluster networks, embedded in practice teams, could bring primary care and public health closer in ways discussed for years, but never achieved. https://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/44/5/1.2">https://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/4...

Too many egs of what #CHWs could do, in short/long term, but here& #39;s a few

- ensure accessing benefits
- https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬆️" title="Pfeil nach oben" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach oben">management of chronic conditions
- https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬆️" title="Pfeil nach oben" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach oben">vaccine coverage inc COVID if we get one!
- helphttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="⬇️" title="Pfeil nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach unten">gaps in access to care
- support w/ appts
- and of course, Test, Trace and Isolate

So, if we are to narrow inequalities from #COVID19, suppress the virus effectively and use this moment to build more health-promoting primary care workforce, #CHWs seem like a no-brainer really.

Huge thanks again to @HealthBegins and others for this great event.