Beyond Geneva.
What gets financed now determines what gets sustained — whether CHWs are supported as a paid, skilled, supervised, and supplied workforce within national systems, or whether programs fall short in practice.
Making proCHWs the norm worldwide depends on coordinated action across three groups:
- National policymakers: Translate commitments into implementation, ensuring CHWs are paid, trained, supervised, and supplied.
- Global funders: Provide catalytic financing aligned with national proCHW priorities to support the infrastructure CHWs need to function as integrated parts of health systems.
- Norm setters: Reinforce WHO guidance supporting CHWs as paid, trained, supervised, and supplied workers so governments and funders build programs accordingly.
The conversations in Geneva pointed toward a shared direction. The work ahead is no longer simply about recognition — it is about building the financing and implementation pathways bold enough to sustain it.
“The evidence is no longer in question. We know that professional community health workers save lives. We know that they are cost effective and have a high return on investment. The question now is whether health systems are built to reliably support them.”
Emilie Chambert, CEO, Living Goods
All Roads Lead to CHWs
As health systems are asked to deliver more with less, CHIC convened All Roads Lead to proCHWs: Financing and Institutionalizing Professional CHWs in a Fractured Global Health Landscape to explore how countries sustain access to care.
The event brought together policymakers, implementers, funders, and health system leaders navigating a shared challenge of how to ensure support for proCHWs holds under real-world pressure.
Participants included:
- Emilie Chambert — CEO, Living Goods
- Nan Chen — Co-Executive Director, Africa Frontline First
- Dr. Lennie Bazira — Policy Director, CHIC
- Hon. Ussene Isse — Minister of Health, Mozambique
- Soleine Scotney — Co-Chief Executive Officer, Financing Alliance for Health
- Mary Muthoni Muriuki — Principal Secretary of Health, Kenya
- Mercy Mwangangi — CEO, Social Health Authority, Kenya
- Alex de Jonquieres — Director of Health Systems & Immunization Strengthening, Gavi
- John Fairhurst — Head, Private Sector Engagement, Global Fund
- Gerald Mutungi — NCD Lead, Ministry of Health, Uganda
- Dr. Annette Brima-Davis — County Health Officer for Bomi County, Liberia
- Josophine Kalombola — Community Health Worker, Malawi (via video)
One of the clearest reminders of the work ahead came through an absence.
Josophine Kalombola, a CHW from Malawi, was set to attend WHA79 and share her perspective — at our event and in discussions throughout the week. Visa barriers prevented her from participating. At a week centered on sovereignty and participation, her experience reflected a persistent tension. Those closest to implementation still face the greatest barriers to shaping policy.
“We need long-term funding, we need to be supervised, we need to be trained so that we can deliver the best quality care in the community.” — Josophine Kalombola
“Some people say health is an expense. In my opinion, health is not an expense — health is an investment. That is why we are working to absorb community health workers into the public system so they can become state employees, ensuring the continuity and sustainability of services in our country.”
Hon. Ussene Isse, Minister of Health, Mozambique
THE LARGEST-EVER PUBLIC DASHBOARD FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER POLICIES
Countries face growing pressure to move from aid-dependent delivery to domestically financed systems. The challenge is understanding where commitments are being backed by the financing and structures required to sustain them.
CHIC’s proCHW Policy Dashboard Version 2.0 was built as a shared resource to address that tension debuted at WHA79.
Version 1.0 tracked where proCHW policy is in place. Version 2.0 expands beyond policy adoption, examining evidence of implementation and whether the structures needed for delivery are taking shape, including financing, supervision, training, operational guidance, and data systems.
The Dashboard can support policymakers, advocates, funders, and partners in identifying where additional catalytic funding, coordination, and action may still be needed.
“All roads may lead to proCHWs. Not all roads are built the same. Countries may be moving toward the same destination, but they are navigating very different fiscal realities, health system structures, and implementation challenges. The goal may be shared. The path rarely is.”
Soleine Scotney, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Financing Alliance for Health