The impact of community health workers on maternal mortality in the United States

In the United States, maternal mortality has been increasing, especially in rural and minority populations while it has been generally decreasing in both other developed and developing nations. There is some evidence that using community health workers (CHWs) can improve maternal mortality be significant in improving and impacting the public health of communities, especially in areas that are resource-poor. This literature review looks at the use of various types of CHWs, health extension worker (HEW), lay health worker (LHW), community health extension worker (CHEW), and peer counselling interventions that were designed to reduce health disparities in various communities. As maternal mortality continues to increase, the burden on communities will increase as well. It is imperative to the health of women and children to begin eliminating the gaps in health care and health education. The purpose of this literature review was to see if there is potential to implement similar CHW programs and interventions in the United States, and specifically in Allegheny County as a method to improve maternal mortality. The literature suggests that the use of CHWs and other lay health persons could be beneficial to the health of mothers and their infants