Model of prevention and control of COVID-19 from village health volunteers to strengthen community immunity and support future infectious disease outbreaks

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly affected the world health systems. Each country must find strategies to control the outbreak, including Thailand, which has brought in village health volunteers (VHVs) to help control the outbreak. This research aimed to modify a model and promote the potential for the inhibition and control of COVID-19 by VHVs in the community in Buriram Province, Thailand. We used a mixed-methods approach to examine and enhance VHV competencies in infection prevention, community surveillance, and risk communication. The research was divided into 2 phases as follows: Phase 1 involved a sample of 1,589 VHVs and used a cross-sectional survey design to assess the level of competence and factors influencing the skills of VHV to inhibit and control COVID-19. Phase 2 used a four-step action research cycle: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting on developing a model for strengthening the potential VHVs of controlling COVID-19, and analyzed data from focus group discussions with stakeholders and experts on potential VHVs and data from participatory observations before and after the development. The results showed significant associations between VHVs’ COVID-19 prevention and control competencies and factors such as role perception, work motivation, and training (p < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.017, respectively). In addition, implementation of the development model significantly improved the VHVs’ knowledge, skills, and satisfaction (p < 0.001). This model underscores the pivotal role of VHVs in strengthening community immunity, and highlights the importance of capacity-building initiatives for sustainable public health responses to future outbreaks.