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The following is a summary of “Enablers and barriers of community health programs for improved equity and universal coverage of primary health care services: A scoping review,” published in the October 2024 issue of Primary Care by Khatri et al. 

Community health programs (CHPs) are essential for primary care delivery (PHC) and universal health coverage (UHC), yet few studies explore how they strengthen community health systems. 

Researchers conducted a scoping review to synthesize evidence on the link between CHPs and community health systems in delivering PHC services. 

They conducted a scoping review of research articles on CHP by searching 6 databases: PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase, along with Google Scholar. Out of 3,836 records, 1,407 duplicates were removed, and 2,346 were excluded based on titles and abstracts. They included 83 articles for full-text review, excluding 18 with reasons, and added 16 through hand search. Themes were analyzed using Sacks and colleagues’ “Beyond the Building Block” framework. 

The results showed that 81 studies highlighted CHPs as key to community health system readiness for PHC, including decentralization, community-controlled governance, and resource mobilization. CHPs improved access to health services, supported public health emergencies, provided affordable care, and addressed social determinants of health. 

They concluded that CHPs played a crucial role in improving access to PHC services and addressing social determinants of health. However, they identified gaps such as inadequate funding and the limited focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), highlighting the need for further research and resource investment. 

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02629-5#Abs1