Impact of a Community Health Worker Home Visit Intervention on Child Development in South Africa: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

A strong body of evidence demonstrates that the negative impacts of early adversity on child development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can be mitigated through appropriate early-life interventions. Regular home visits by trained staff who support and counsel caregivers on a diversity of topics, including child health, nutrition, and play-based stimulation, have been
shown to be particularly effective. However, important questions remain around how to effectively integrate home-based interventions for children into existing service platforms in order to deliver them at scale. We designed and evaluated a home visit intervention integrated into community health worker (CHW) operations in South Africa. Trial registration: South African Clinical Trials Registry (SANCTR 4407); Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR 201710002683810)