New Coalition research finds most funders do not systematically track or report proCHW investments, making it challenging to assess global funding flows.

Improved reporting can help optimize investments in proCHW programs and advance global health goals.

Coalition Research

CHWS are the foundation of primary healthcare.

Community health workers (CHWs) bring health services to the doorstep—from vaccinations to maternal care to lifesaving treatment in the most remote areas.

Indisputable evidence confirms that CHWs save lives, improve health, and bring huge economic and equity benefits. Yet despite emerging consensus that CHWs should be paid, trained, supervised, and equipped as professionals, funding to make that happen is falling short.

Although global development financing prior to 2025 included unprecedented levels of investment in health, only a small percentage was directed toward CHWs. For example, the total development assistance targeting CHW projects from 2007 to 2017 was just 2.5% of the total development assistance for health—and even that figure may be overstated.

The challenge isn’t just too little funding—it’s also a lack of transparency. A new CHIC study, the first of its kind, maps funding flows for CHWs across eight major donors. The findings show how hard it is to track where money is actually going, with limited data available on investments specifically for professional CHWs.

“0% of funders fully disclose proCHW-specific funding.”

– Coalition analysis, BMJ Global Health (2025)

A visibility gap.

In our latest shared research, we reviewed eight major global health funders. While all funders share general budget data publicly, proCHW-specific investments are nearly impossible to trace.

We found that:

0% fully disclose proCHW-specific funding data.
25% (2 out of 8) offer only partial visibility.
Only The Global Fund provides quantifiable CHW funding with partial visibility into proCHW support.
The (former) President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) had taken steps toward CHW data visibility by allowing funds to be quantified based on publicly available data.

Why does this matter?

BETTER DATA MEANS BETTER DECISION-MAKING.

Most funders do not disaggregate CHW spending by occupational group type (e.g., volunteer vs. salaried), limiting the ability to track investments aligned with the World Health Organisation’s Guideline on CHW Programs. Due to this, coordination between governments, donors, and partners suffers. And funding gaps and duplication remain hidden.

In contrast, when CHW funding is visible and disaggregated, donors and governments can align efforts more effectively. So, funding can target the greatest needs, and progress toward global health goals and health for all becomes easier to track.

Visibility isn’t just about reporting—it’s about maximizing the impact of every dollar.

Group of people wearing face masks while standing in line and waiting for Community Health Workers to check their temperature

What next?

Call to action.

By investing in CHWs, these eight global funders are helping make essential and evidence-backed progress toward UHC. As a Coalition, we are calling on funders to enact two immediate actions to strengthen data transparency and coordination:

Enhance public access to CHW and proCHW funding data
Make the data already collected accessible and easy to analyze. Even simple steps—like publishing CHW spending by occupational group—can dramatically improve transparency.
Integrate standardized proCHW indicators into global reporting tools
Use platforms like OECD and IHME to track investments consistently, distinguishing volunteer CHWs from professional CHWs. This small step can unlock progress.

In Conclusion.

Funders are already demonstrating leadership through financial commitment. But, by making CHW and proCHW investments visible, measurable, and actionable, they can amplify the impact of current investments and strengthen community health systems.

Ultimately, this transparency will help ensure quality care for all, including those who provide it.

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Making proCHW Investments Visible.