Monrovia, Liberia – Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., Chairman of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa (HaPSNA), has made a strong case for the official integration of certified community health workers (CHWs) into national civil service systems throughout Africa.
Under the sponsorship of the Health Development and Performance Architecture Consortium (HeDPAC), the Consultative Meeting on the Integration of Certified Community Health Workers into Civil Service Systems and Monitoring Progress was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 2–3. Dr. Joekai, Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) of Liberia, gave the keynote opening address.
speaking to a high-level gathering of ministers, public health specialists, policymakers, and development partners, CSA Boss remarked that “The meeting builds upon the momentum generated by the landmark HaPSNA framework conference hosted in Monrovia in March 2025.”
He proclaimed, “HaPSNA is a working reality today, not just a notion. We have a clear understanding of its enormous potential to revolutionize the health sector in our member states, primarily by strategically integrating frontline health workers into official government systems.”
Two main goals of the Kigali meeting are to finalize the Delivery Maturity Index (DMI), a tool to evaluate the responsiveness, efficacy, and maturity of national community healthcare delivery systems, and to develop a comprehensive policy package to support the integration of CHWs into national civil service systems.
Delegates from Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, and host nation Liberia initially established and accepted the HaPSNA framework during the historic Regional Conference in March 2025 in Monrovia, which served as the basis for the Kigali summit.
A comprehensive policy package to integrate CHWs into national civil service systems and the completion of the Delivery Maturity Index, a strategic tool to evaluate the efficacy and responsiveness of national community healthcare delivery systems, are the two main goals that are being prioritized in the current functional reality of that framework.
The consultative gathering, however, focused heavily on cross-sectoral cooperation, particularly between civil/public service agencies and ministries of health. Wage structure, compensation alignment, and institutional acknowledgment of CHWs as a component of long-term system resilience are important topics of discussion.
Using data broken down by cadre, country, area of work, and performance, DG Joekai stated that the DMI will allow nations to assess their human health resource landscape. Trained Traditional Midwives (TTMs), Community Health Service Supervisors (CHSS), Community Health Assistants (CHAs), and Community Health Promoters amongst others.
According to him, these tools are more than just administrative tools. “Their strategic controls will enable us to evaluate the data that is now available more effectively and help us make well-informed, fact-based choices on how to tailor national responses.”
He also pushed attendees to consider the needs of frontline healthcare professionals closely. “According to what standards are these cadres successful in various national contexts? How do we make sure that compensation, career advancement, and institutional recognition are fundamental components of CHW engagement rather than being afterthoughts?”
In addition to highlighting Liberia’s personal dedication to the process, the CSA Boss disclosed that notable progress has already been achieved in getting CHWs on the government payroll.
“The Liberian Ministry of Health and the Civil Service Agency have made remarkable progress since the Monrovia Conference. We have initiated a systematic process to transfer Community Health Workers and seasoned volunteers to the national payroll system.”
According to him, this action is a component of Liberia’s National Community Health Program (NCHP) and shows the nation’s determination to structure its frontline healthcare workers. During the Kigali discussions, Liberia is anticipated to give a comprehensive country status report that includes figures broken down by cadre and area.
In addition, Dr. Joekai recognized the need of cross-sector cooperation, especially between Ministries of Health and Civil/Public Service Agencies, in creating compensation and incentive plans that work for CHWs. He emphasized that worker happiness, performance, and the system’s long-term resilience all depend on this HaPSNA framework component, which is not incidental. Dr. Joekai reiterated the strategic and moral value of CHWs to Africa’s public health systems in his closing comments, urging participating countries to act with shared responsibility and haste.
He asserted that the first step toward achieving health parity in Africa is community-level action. It starts with the individuals who walk the furthest, give life-saving treatment in the most remote places, and far too often do it without proper support or formal job recognition.
“Our shared obligations include creating strong and scalable processes, institutionalizing their operation, and openly and honestly monitoring our progress.”
A robust Liberian delegation led by CSA Josiah Joekai, who is co-chairing the consultative conference, is made up of specialists from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Civil Service Agency (CSA).
Stakeholders are anticipated to develop country-specific roadmaps and complete the instruments that will influence the next ten years of community healthcare integration in Africa as discussions continue during the two-day summit.
