Community Health Volunteers Deliver Quality Care to Refugees with Hypertension and Diabetes Amid COVID-19 Treatment Interruptions

In Jordan, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly caused the closure of health care clinics, cutting off access to critical health services for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians. For those with non-communicable diseases, like hypertension and diabetes, the closures increased the difficulty of managing and monitoring their conditions, creating a gap in care with the potential for severe health consequences.

To improve the quality and continuity of care, the International Rescue Committee implemented a remote, community health volunteer program for patients under care in their clinics. Trained community health volunteers (CHVs) conducted telephone consultations with patients where they monitored for life-threatening complications, offered counselling, and provided COVID-19 information and screenings as well as referrals to testing and care. The CHV program’s outcomes demonstrate the important role that CHVs play in delivering consistent, quality care for refugees and other vulnerable populations.