Thembisa Witbooi
Do not abandon the Community Health Workers who carried South Africa through crisis
/ 18 February 2026

Do not abandon the Community Health Workers who carried South Africa through crisis

In the early years of South Africa’s democracy, as the country confronted one of the most devastating public health emergencies in its history, the government turned to an unconventional yet powerful solution: mobilising ordinary citizens to save lives. Community Health Workers (CHWs), also known as Lay Counsellors, were introduced under the leadership of former Health […]