title: Female health workers boost primary care.
abstract: Women residing in villages in three districts of Pakistan were recruited, trained to deliver primary care and mobilize their communities for health, assigned to limited catchment areas, provided with supervisory and managerial support, and remunerated. Their comprehensive activities substantially reduced infant, child and maternal mortality within a year and generated positive perceptions of family planning in the communities. The programme was cost-effective and appeared suitable as a model for reforming the organization and provision of health care services.
authors.affiliation: Barzgar@WHO-PAK.SDNPK.UNDP.ORG
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Barzgar
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bile
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010154:Pakistan; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014930:Women