Each Home as a Health Post Program and the Role of the Health Messengers and Health Volunteers in the COVID-19 Epidemic Management and Control

COVID-19, caused by a new beta-coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, started in China in late December 2019. Its outbreak was officially announced in Iran on February 19, 2020. The official report of the virus spread throughout the country was announced in mid-March 2020. While expanding the coverage of the "Each Home as a Health Post" program, universities gathered and trained health messengers and health volunteers with the educational content "A Guide to Live with COVID-19".

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sampling method was the census method. The required data were extracted using the integrated health system and the portal of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education’s Primary Health Network Management Center. They were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods.

The numbers of household health messengers and health volunteers were 11134290 and 280619, respectively. The highest total number of health volunteers and health messengers with 824803 people were in Shahid Beheshti University and the lowest with 7088 people in Gerash. Households with health messengers were 11656389, covering 50.1% of Iranian households. The national average score of trained messengers in the COVID-19 training course was 79.2%. In 22 universities/colleges, 100% of the health messengers passed the COVID-19 training course.

Implementing the "Each Home as a Health Post" program has effectively controlled COVID-19 spread by increasing awareness and promoting self-care in the community. Health messengers and health volunteers were the essential elements of the "Each Home as a Health Post" program. They identified and referred patients to selected COVID-19 centers, improving care and services such as interceptions and support.