Community Health Workers Program Expands to Cochabamba, Bolivia

The health indicators in Bolivia are alarming, with more than 5 million people unable to access health services (Defensoría del Pueblo de Bolivia), at least 362,000 people who have diabetes, and 19.6% of the Bolivian population experiencing high blood pressure (Servicio Nacional de Información en Salud).

Faced with this reality, Pro Mujer is committed to promoting the population’s well-being and access to preventive health services through in-person, digital, and community outreach spaces.

As part of this commitment, in 2018, we launched the Community Health Workers (CHW) program to provide Pro Mujer clients with nursing training so that they can provide health check-ups in underserved communities. 

There are currently 237 CHWs who provide guidance on healthy lifestyles, identify risk factors for the timely detection of non-communicable diseases, and raise awareness on issues related to sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Pro Mujer trained and certified 30 new CHWs in the area to strengthen our impact in Cochabamba. These CHWs will begin to provide basic health services in local urban, peri-urban, and rural areas.

“We are proud to offer accessible health services, as well as opportunities for skills development and financial inclusion, in Cochabamba,” said Pro Mujer’s Health Programs Manager, Roberto Ewel.

The implementation of the CHW model in other cities has been a success. Pro Mujer CHWs provided more than 55,000 free check-ups at the national level. In 2022, they provided more than 28,400 health check-ups and more than 22,000 counseling sessions in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija, Potosí, and Pando.