Success Story
How Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) lay the foundation for a resilient COVID-19 response in Liberia
March 25, 2021
Community-based organization GRASS (NPI EXPAND’s COVID-19 grantee) in Grand Bassa County, Liberia. CHVs supported by GRASS posed for a group photo following their community engagement focusing on COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE).
In Liberia, Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) are instrumental in increasing communities’ access to crucial health information and messages, contributing to improved health status of Liberians. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic currently affecting the country, CHVs’ role has become even more critical. Strongly trusted within their community, CHVs have been considered a reliable source of information since the beginning of the pandemic and, trained by community-based organizations, they have been key in dispelling numerous myths and misconceptions around COVID-19.
In Liberia, Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) are instrumental in increasing communities’ access to crucial health information and messages, contributing to improved health status of Liberians. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic currently affecting the country, CHVs’ role has become even more critical. Strongly trusted within their community, CHVs have been considered a reliable source of information since the beginning of the pandemic and, trained by community-based organizations, they have been key in dispelling numerous myths and misconceptions around COVID-19.In July 2020, NPI EXPAND awarded grants to five community-based grassroots organizations (CEP, GRASS, CHI, EQUIP and SEARCH). The organizations supported the Liberian Ministry of Health (MoH) and County Health Teams (CHTs) in Grand Bassa, Nimba, Monsterrado and Margibi Counties in reducing and eliminating transmission of COVID-19 by training and providing direct support to CHVs to conduct risk communication and community engagement activities.
CHVs linked people affected by the disease to treatment services, participated in contact tracing efforts, conducted awareness raising, and also changed some community behaviours that contributed to increased spread of COVID-19 (e.g., hugging or shaking hands). COVID-19 grantees also installed hand washing stations at public places, printed and disseminated communication materials, and conducted various trainings to community members and local authorities.
“Training Community Health Volunteers enable a quick response to epidemic events, especially in rural areas” -Mr. Barley Togba/National Coordinator GRASS.
As a result of the COVID-19 grantees’ interventions under NPI EXPAND, CHVs mobilized local communities to take action to prevent the spread of COVID-19, mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on rural and underserved areas.