{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T00:36:36Z","timestamp":1792715796387,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744329600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this narrative review is to examine a WHO-compliant program that prepares Community Health Workers (CHWs) in low-resource environments. The intended outcome of the training is to enhance healthcare access and address health equity disparities. We examined the program\u2019s curriculum, instructional methods, and a complementary continuing medical education (CME) program designed to sustain CHWs\u2019 knowledge and skills.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title><jats:p>We review, in detail, the CHW training program\u2014its curriculum, delivery, and implementation\u2014launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing today. This program develops critical human resources to expand the reach of overburdened healthcare professionals in disproportionately affected regions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our review highlights the positive impact of this program on marginalized communities. We propose the adoption of its curriculum and pedagogical framework by local leaders seeking to train teams of well-prepared CHWs to improve healthcare and bridge the gap between communities and medical professionals. This no-cost program is accessible even to the most under-resourced settings.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The program examined in this paper offers small, disproportionately affected communities a valuable opportunity to implement a program that equips CHWs to provide essential clinical services and conduct community-wide health education initiatives. These CHWs serve as vital bridges between their communities and the professional medical system. Their demonstrated effectiveness in serving the health needs of their communities, even during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, is noteworthy. When called for, they can support refugees fleeing war and climate pressures by offering basic clinical care and prevention training.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1504490","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T11:41:31Z","timestamp":1744371691000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Community health workers: a narrative review of a curriculum and training program for low-income communities facing limited access to healthcare"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Maryam","family":"Othman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gary W.","family":"Selnow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1186\/1747-5341-3-4","article-title":"The \u2018brain drain\u2019 of physicians: historical antecedents to an ethical debate, c. 1960-79","volume":"3","author":"Wright","year":"2008","journal-title":"Philos Ethics Humanit Med"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e009316","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2022-009316","article-title":"The global health workforce stock and distribution in 2020 and 2030: a threat to equity and \u2018universal\u2019 health coverage? BMJ","volume":"7","author":"Boniol","year":"2022","journal-title":"Glob Health"},{"key":"ref3","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1186\/s12939-021-01615-y","article-title":"Community health workers and health equity in low- and middle-income countries: systematic review and recommendations for policy and practice","volume":"21","author":"Ahmed","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Equity Health"},{"key":"ref5","article-title":"A universal truth: no health without a workforce","volume-title":"Forum Report, Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, Recife, Brazil","author":"Campbell","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref6","author":"Perry","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref7","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref8","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref9","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"943","DOI":"10.15171\/ijhpm.2018.53","article-title":"Community health worker programs to improve healthcare access and equity: are they only relevant to low- and middle-income countries?","volume":"7","author":"Javanparast","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Health Policy Manag"},{"key":"ref11","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2199","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2011.300386","article-title":"Community health workers can be a public health force for change in the United States: three actions for a new paradigm","volume":"101","author":"Balcazar","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"ref13","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e021467","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2017-021467","article-title":"Ongoing training of community health workers in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic scoping review of the literature","volume":"8","author":"O'Donovan","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref15","first-page":"64","article-title":"Collaborations in health education for low-resource regions","volume":"8","author":"Othman","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Southern California Clin"},{"key":"ref16","article-title":"An introduction to cognitive information processing theory, research, and practice","author":"James","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref17","author":"Silver","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref18","author":"Shreeti","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref19","year":"2017"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1504490\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T11:41:32Z","timestamp":1744371692000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1504490\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]},"references-count":19,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1504490"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1504490","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]]},"article-number":"1504490"}}