United Nations General Assembly 79.

The 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was held in New York City, USA, on 22-30 September 2024.

During UNGA 79, world leaders discussed the global effort to accelerate progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The highly anticipated Summit of the Future, held during UNGA, underscored the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation to address pressing challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality, while also tackling the impacts of ongoing conflicts and global health crises.

Community Health Impact Coalition and partners sought to influence UNGA discussions at the highest-level to advance our mission of making professional CHWs (proCHWs) the norm worldwide. Two topics dominated health discourse at UNGA this year – Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Climate and Health. And with multilateral institutions like Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization all kicking off replenishment cycles this year, financing was a common thread across all conversations.

As a Coalition, we understand that addressing AMR and building climate-resilient health systems are only possible when we invest in professional community health workers who can deliver dignified care to every patient. From immunization to integrated community case management, from pandemic preparedness to elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, CHWs are the backbone of patient-centered, climate-resilient health systems and must be supported as such. For the third year in a row, CHIC advocacy centered on this fact.

Imagine a world where every person has access to essential health services, no matter where they live. Despite decades of investment, half of the global population still lacks this fundamental right. Meanwhile, millions of community health workers (CHWs) remain unintegrated into the formal health system: unsupervised, unequipped, and unpaid. What if a single policy change could revolutionize health systems worldwide? Undeniable evidence shows that professional CHWs (proCHWs) significantly improve access, equity, and health outcomes. By making proCHWs the norm, we can secure health for all—today and tomorrow.

At the start of UNGA week, the Coalition hosted an invitation-only in-person event, ‘Securing the Future with ProCHWs: A timeless investment in health for all.’ We delved into the transformative potential of salaried, skilled, supervised, and supplied CHWs. We learned from frontline CHW advocates, visionary policymakers, and pioneering funders about the strategic steps needed to implement proCHW policies in 95 countries. With 40 countries already on board, we outlined how we can collaboratively achieve global health equity and secure the future with proCHWs.

We are grateful to our speakers for bringing this work to life and rallying others to join the movement:

CHIC members Emily Bancroft, CEO, VillageReach and Ruchit Nagar, CEO, Khushi Baby set the stage, welcoming guests and reminding everyone that because healthcare is both technical and political, we’re in the business of whole systems change. Margaret Odera, CHW Advocate, ACHVOK provided the first keynote address. She emphasized CHW-led advocacy and celebrated the Kenyan government’s landmark recognition of CHWs, which has legitimized CHWs’ role and expanded their reach. Ms. Odera introduced Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance who outlined why ensuring CHWs are provided with safe and supportive working conditions and fair pay is a vision that is close to her heart and one of her key priorities for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s mission. We then welcomed our moderator, Dr. Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development, who facilitated a lively discussion with a panel of Ministers, CHWs, and NGO leaders:

• Honorable Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health, Uganda highlighted Uganda’s dynamic policy landscape including the establishment of a new professional CHW cadre. 
• Honorable Dr. Robert Lucien Kargougou, Minister of Health, Burkina Faso celebrated “value for money” in community health in Burkina Faso, where the government is co-financing up to 50% of the community health budget. 
• Honorable Dr. Austin Demby, Minister of Health, Sierra Leone took us back in time to the genesis of the proCHW movement at Alma Ata in 1978. He highlighted Sierra Leone’s continuing support for CHWs, while acknowledging some of the challenges countries face in implementing proCHW policies.
• Ramatu Jalloh, CHW Advocate, Partners in Health Sierra Leone reminded everyone that CHWs can speak for themselves. 
•  Ari Johnson, MD, CEO, Muso  brought technical rigor to the discussion by sharing the findings of Muso’s latest landmark trial in Mali, where proCHWs reduced under-five mortality by 63% in conflict zones.

Following remarks by each panelist, Dr. Gawande invited distinguished audience members to deliver interventions from the floor:

• Bupe Sinkala, CHW/Mentor Mother Team Lead, Zambia, mothers2mothers challenged panelists to create more opportunities for CHWs to engage in policy discussions.

• Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, Minister of Health, National Unity Government, Myanmar shared the challenging context for CHWs in his country and invited reflections from the panelists on how Myanmar can best support proCHWs in the midst of conflict.

• Dr. Salim Nassir Slim, Director of Preventative Services and Health Education, Ministry of Health, Zanzibar shared Zanzibar’s vision for CHWs with a focus on supplies and invited the Coalition to support their plans.

Dr. Madeleine Ballard, CEO, CHIC wrapped up the event with a clear call to action, urging policymakers, funders, and practitioners to double down on proCHW momentum.

A full video of this session can be viewed online. And individual speaker videos are available, too.

This year’s United Nations General Assembly served as an opportunity to amplify CHW voices; influence funder strategies ahead of replenishment processes; mobilize proCHW champions from government and global institutions to elevate core messages; and energize the movement. Here’s how we did.

As a movement, we’re making excellent progress. In 2018, we influenced the creation of the inaugural CHW Guideline published by the World Health Organization. The release of the document was a landmark moment for the proCHW movement. In less than five years, we got from the guideline to country adoption. But the job is not done yet. The score is currently 40 countries with a proCHW cadre to nearly 60 without. To keep up our progress, we’ll need to weather economic downturns, ride out political instability, and stay focused over decades as new fads emerge . And we can do it – if we stay in the game and stay together. Wartime, peacetime, boom time, bust time – CHWs are always a no-regrets investment.

Together we’ve been able to put professional CHWs in the spotlight; now it’s time to make them the standard. We’re halfway up the ladder together, let’s keep climbing; the view is getting good.