Community health worker programmes have become a prominent feature of many primary health care schemes in developing countries. This paper, which is based on a larger collaborative study undertaken in 3 countries, focuses on the experiences with such workers in Botswana, and concludes that many of the key issues that were highlighted in the Botswana study are similar to those in other countries. These can be summarized under four headings: unrealistic expectations, poor initial planning, problems of sustainability, and the difficulty of maintaining quality of care. The future success of these workers will depend on their being integrated more systematically into local services, with concomitant strengthening of management support and supervision.

Botswana↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Globalization and health.

Globalization means different things to different people; a general definition is the increasing movement of information, material and people across borders. It can be considered in terms of five conflicting but inter-relating themes, economic transformation; new patterns of trade; an increasing poverty gap associated with widening health inequalities; the revolution in electronic communication; and the growing role of non-state actors, such as non-governmental organizations and transnational corporations, in global governance. Globalization is both an opportunity and a threat, but it is not inexorable. Successful action against its undesirable aspects is possible.

Communication↗