Adoption Analysis of Community Health Workers' Role in Hepatitis C Virus Prevention Among Drug Users in Cape Town,

The study examines the adoption of community health workers (CHWs) in Cape Town, South Africa, to prevent Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) among drug users over a three-year period. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including qualitative interviews with CHWs and quantitative surveys of drug users. Data on CHW activities and participant outcomes over three years were collected and analysed using thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. CHWs reported increased community trust (75%) and improved linkage to care services (60%), though there was variability in the extent of these impacts across different neighborhoods. While CHWs played a crucial role, their effectiveness varied based on local context and resource availability. Future interventions should tailor strategies to address specific challenges within communities. Enhanced training programmes for CHWs, additional funding for community engagement activities, and integration of digital health tools could improve HCV prevention efforts. Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.