Optimization of task allocation for community health workers in Haiti

• Published in: Socio-economic planning sciences 1988, Vol.22 (1), p.3-14
• Main Authors: Parker, Barnett R., Stansfield, Sally K., Augustin, Antoine, Boulos, Reginald, Newman, Jeanne S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Haiti; Health care
• ISSN: 0038-0121; 1873-6041
• DOI: 10.1016/0038-0121(88)90029-8

The utilization of front-line health personnel such as community health workers (CHWs) has been, and remains, a critical element in satisfying the basic health care needs of poor and otherwise underserved populations in developing regions. In response to current health conditions in Haiti, CHWs have now focused significant efforts on providing comprehensive preventive health services to children under five years of age, and their mothers. Particular attention is being given to four target problems: nutritional deficiency diseases, short birth intervals, immunization-preventable diseases, and diarrheal diseases. The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a simple mathematical model of the following operational problem facing health planners in two regions of Haiti (Cité Soleil, formerly Cité Simone, and Mirebalais): determine those best proportions of personnel time and commodity and economic resources devoted to specified CHW tasks/interventions and under fives subgroups that will (1) maximize overall value or health benefit to the community, while ensuring that (2) no resource levels are exceeded, but that (3) all minimum performance levels are met (or exceeded). Extensions of the problem as they might arise in Cité Soleil and Mirebalais are also presented and subsequently incorporated into original model. Guidelines are offered for the quantification, sensitivity analysis, and solution of the model.