Exploring COVID-19’s Impact on Community Health Workers and their Role in Emergency Response
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.348Keywords:
Adaptability, Community health workers, COVID-19 pandemic, Effectiveness, Rural healthAbstract
Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital role in public health; however, their contributions during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are less explored in rural areas. This study investigated how the pandemic affected CHWs in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, focusing on changes in workload, stress levels, safety concerns, and how they adapted to new health protocols. It also assessed their effectiveness during the crisis based on accessibility, communication, trust, skills, response time, care quality, health education, and community outcomes. A descriptive-correlational design was used, with data collected through a validated survey from CHWs in three municipalities. Descriptive statistics measured the level of impact and effectiveness, while Spearman’s Rho tested the relationships between them. Results showed that CHWs faced heavier workloads and emotional stress but were still seen by communities as accessible, competent, and trustworthy. Among all impact areas, only their ability to adapt to new protocols had a significant link to better communication, faster response time, and applied knowledge. Other challenges, such as stress and workload, did not affect their service quality. The study concludes that CHWs' adaptability was key to maintaining health services during the pandemic. Structured training and support systems are recommended to enhance their resilience and performance in preparing for future health crises.
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