The Advocacy Symposium on 18 January 2017 showcased growing evidence of how community health workers can contribute to improved child health outcomes. A series of three presentations advocated for greater investment in community-based services and considers how we can make the most of this essential resource provided we increase the numbers of Community Health Workers improve their conditions of service, and expand their scope of practice:

• Ending preventable deaths: Reflections on the Child Death Review (Natasha Rhoda, Department of Neonatology)
• Community health workers and child health: Implications for South Africa (Tanya Doherty, Health Systems Research Unit, Medical Research Council)
• The Mentor Mother Model (Nicola Eley, Philani Mother and Child Health and Nutrition Programme)

This engagement builds on a 2016 SAMJ article on the potential role of the ward-based outreach teams.