Leveraging Community Health Workers to Combat Health Misinformation in Haiti, Malawi, and Rwanda
Leveraging Community Health Workers to Combat Health Misinformation in Haiti, Malawi, and Rwanda
Partners In Health (PIH), in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, aims to develop and evaluate an SMS-based intervention for Community Health Workers (CHWs) to combat COVID-19 and mental health-related misinformation in Haiti, Rwanda, and Malawi. The study involves three aims: identifying locally relevant misinformation through a card-sorting exercise with CHWs, developing targeted messages through cognitive interviewing, and evaluating the effectiveness of SMS-based educational message dissemination via a randomized controlled trial. The evaluation will assess the impact on public health practices, knowledge and attitudes among CHWs, and knowledge and attitudes among community members.
The intervention will involve sending SMS messages to randomized CHWs, addressing either COVID-19 or mental health misinformation. CHWs will have access to a helpline for further support and can provide feedback to refine the messaging. The evaluation will use a time series analysis to measure changes in COVID-19 vaccine administration, mental health service utilization, CHWs' knowledge and attitudes, and community members' knowledge and attitudes. The study aims to empower CHWs with accurate information, improve public health practices, and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes in the communities served by PIH. Rwanda and Haiti CHWs will receive the messages for 12 months, but Malawi CHWs will receive the messages for 6 months due to a CHW transition in country.
The intervention will be assigned at the unit of the CHWs. These individuals will also be eligible for the CHW longitudinal cohort.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
- Less than 18 years old.