Advocacy Training for Community Health Workers

A free advocacy training to elevate the voices of community health workers.

For too long, community health workers (CHWs) have been excluded from discussions that influence their work and their communities. That’s why Advocacy Training for Community Health Workers is a critical course to share with CHWs around the world. This free digital training equips CHWs with the skills to effectively share their personal stories and promote the health issues most important to their communities.

All content is freely available under the Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. See our guidelines around using, sharing, and adapting Digital Medic content here.

Update: Advocacy Training for Community Health Workers has been recognized as a Digital Public Good by the Digital Public Goods Alliance and as one of six Content Global Goods by Digital Square at PATH.

Community health workers are the most proximal and trusted care providers for millions of people around the world. Despite their demonstrated impact, CHWs have historically been excluded from conversations and decision-making that influence their work and communities.

This course was co-created with the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC) and an advisory group of CHWs from around the world (Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Malawi, and Guatemala). All content is action-oriented and reflective of the realities of CHWs’ work and the challenges they face.

Learners will have the ability to access and download videos, reading materials, and reflection exercises on the following topics:

1. The history and background of CHW programs
2. How to advocate for improved health care and working conditions
3. How to tell personal stories to advocate for change
4. How to use technology tools to participate in global conversations

The free advocacy training course is available in the Digital Medic app for iOS and Android. Learners have the ability to download materials for offline access.

We have also created a free Facilitator Guide to assist with in-person and hybrid group learning sessions. The guide is recommended for CHW trainers and supervisors, and is designed to align with your existing schedule. All materials are available in English, French, and Spanish through the CHIC course website.