Background: Village health workers (VHWs), popularly known as community health workers (CHWs) in some contexts and settings, should effectively complement health care providers in primary health care (PHC) delivery in Zimbabwe. However, they continue to offer services that do not address current and emerging health issues.
Aim: This study aims to review the literature and develop a conceptual framework to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of VHWs in service delivery.
Method: Rodgers' evolutionary framework was used to analyse the concept of 'strategies for effective and efficient delivery of PHC by VHWs'. Articles and reports published in English from 2010 to 2022 in peer-reviewed journals from the PUBMED, EBSCO, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases were reviewed.
Results: After screening and removal of duplicates a total of 52 articles and two reports were reviewed to identify antecedents, attributes and consequences of strategies to improve PHC services by village health workers. The antecedents included an enabling work environment, community participation, motivation, incentives, integration of community health into national health systems, and information and communication technology. The attributes consisted of ongoing training and skills development, mutual respect and trust, enhanced contact between VHWs and communities and supportive supervision. The consequences were equitable access to and improved quality of PHC service delivery.
Conclusion: The concept of PHC service delivery by VHWs has evolved from health promotion to curative care through task shifting and is now an integral part of the health system. A supportive and enabling work environment, anchored in community participation, empowers VHWs to deliver equitable services effectively and efficiently.Contribution: The development of strategies for improving VHW service delivery and a conceptual framework informed by findings from the reviewed literature.
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