Primary Health Care | HIV | MDR-TB | Mental Health | Chronic Diseases | CHWs | Women's Rights

Community Health Workers: The Missing Infrastructure

Tiyatien Health’s comprehensive, clinical approach to primary health services is supported by a robust backbone of community health workers (“accompaniers”) who provide home-based health and socioeconomic services. In 2008, TH’s over 50 accompaniers conducted over 10,000 home visits to people affected by tuberculosis, HIV, tuberculosis and chronic diseases and their communities to provide directly observed treatment and health talks, expanding their efforts to include prevention activities, awareness campaigns, and referrals. These invaluable accompaniers have referred over 2000 sick individuals from rural communities for early care seeking and primary healthcare services during prevention and awareness activities that reached over 30,000 people from rural communities.

In addition to providing comprehensive health services, Tiyatien Health addresses the psychosocial needs of patients and their families by providing over 300 monthly economic stipends, food packages, and individual and group counseling sessions. Agricultural and small business trainings have recently been completed to help break cycles of disease, poverty and gender inequality plaguing our patients lives. These patients were provided agricultural kits and small business grants, helping families rebuild their lives after years of war, displacement, and little to no health care.