Leveraging role of non-physician health workers in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in India: Enablers and challenges

Abstract

Due to upsurge of non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, there is accentuated emphasis on task sharing and shifting NCDs-related health care delivery to non-physician healthcare workers especially nursing personnel and grass root level health professionals. This narrative review summates role of non-physician health workers, highlights various enablers and challenges while engaging them in delivery of NCD services so as to prevent and control various NCDs in India. Pubmed, Google scholar databases were searched using various keywords and Mesh terminologies. In addition, reference lists of selected articles were also screened. It is concluded that with regular update of knowledge, training, and supervision, these workers can efficiently deliver promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative NCD-related healthcare services to needy. While engagement of this workforce in NCDs mitigation is a transforming concept, it also has its own challenges and issues which need to be explored and addressed in order to utilize this human resource to their maximum potential.

Keywords: Challenges; enablers; multipurpose health workers; non-physician health care worker; noncommunicable diseases; nursing personnel; task shifting.

Figure 1

Enablers and challenges in leveraging role of Non physician health worker in prevention and control of Non communicable diseases in India

Figure 2

Scope and point of NCD care delivery by different cadre of Non physician health worker (Source Intra health International 2016)