There is an urgent need to improve the health of women and children, particularly in areas of Africa, where Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 are most lagging. This requires strong community engagement and formal investments in national health systems, especially for those least likely to be reached through current national health strategies, such as those in rural communities. Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been internationally recognized for their notable success in reducing morbidity and averting mortality in mothers, newborns and children. CHWs are most effective when supported by a clinically skilled health workforce, particularly for maternal care, and deployed within the context of an appropriately financed primary health care system. However, CHWs have.
