Scoping Review to Identify Potential Solutions to Challenges Faced by Village Health Workers in Bhutan

Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) have been readily utilized in a variety of economic and institutional settings over the last six decades. However, due to the diverse responsibilities, implementation styles, and sociocultural factors among different regions, the influence and benefits of CHWs differs widely among various nations. We present potential approaches to addressing the current challenges faced by VHWs in Bhutan, which are categorized into four overarching. categories. These include improving management and community expectations, improving societal factors for VHWs, providing monetary support for VHWs and improving and expanding training. Like many CHW programs in developing regions, Bhutan’s VHW program is able to offer a cost-effective source of health resources to communities in need. However, significant time and resources need to be invested to ensure that the dramatic reduction in VHWs becomes abated, as there is a clear increased cost onto the Bhutanese healthcare system and a decrease of necessary health services provided to communities. Although our study uses the Kingdom of Bhutan as a model, these recommendations can and should be implemented by other countries facing similar challenges with their community health worker programs.