Integrating maternal and child health services with primary health care : practical considerations

Abstract

Addresses the need to link services for the care of mothers and children to other components of primary health care. Services for family planning are also considered. Intended for use by programme managers, the book offers a practical and conceptual framework for evaluating existing services, detecting inefficiencies, avoiding common pitfalls, and planning improvements that build on the many lessons learned from past experiences with primary health care services. The opening chapter outlines the many theoretical advantages of a primary health care approach and explains why, in practice, maternal and child health services so often function as a separate component of the primary health care system. The second chapter identifies eleven main issues that need to be understood and considered before planning an improvement or expansion of services. The main part of the book provides a guide to the planning and organization of services aligned with the principles of primary health care. Adopting a problem-oriented approach, sections concentrate on the staff, equipment, supplies, and resources needed for the daily operation of a clinic. Details range from advice on ways to streamline daily record keeping to an organizational framework for planning the work of a clinic according to five main work stations. Readers are also alerted to specific problem areas where lack of careful planning will compromise efficiency, increase costs, or introduce risks to the health of patients