Evaluating primary health care and nutrition programs in the context of national development

Determinants of Childhood Malnutrition in Jamaica

“…The presence of community health aides, which was significant in model I, was no longer significant in model II. This indicates that social and economic characteristics were more important than health care activities in predicting nutritional status, thereby supporting the idea of developing national self-reliance in primary health care services [3] By and large, this study also suggested that social characteristics of the household were more important predictors of nutritional status than economic characteristics. This has implications in planning programmes for alleviating malnutrition and indicates that emphasis should be placed on family-planning programmes, especially since the number of children in the family under five years old was the most significant predictor of weight for age in model II.…”

“…A recent nutrition survey in Cornwall County, Jamaica, showed that malnutrition increased significantly between 1978 and 1984 [1] Moreover, the primary health care nutrition programme has had only modest success in alleviating the problem during the past 15 years [2]. Marchione [3] suggested that despite significant improvement in the Jamaican primary health care system, economic changes appear to be the major factor influencing the nutritional status of young children, and he stressed the need for programmes to develop individuals' self-reliance with respect to health care.…”

Medicine and Its Alternatives Health Care Priorities in the Caribbean

“…And like most developing countries, many islands in the region have a shortage of biomedical professionals. The present distribution of biomedical services is heavily weighted toward urban and coastal areas, and significantly more health dollars are expended on curative rather than preventive or supportive services 3 . Few doctors work outside main towns, and specialist services are to be found only in a handful of parish capitals.…”

Social Science Perspectives on Primary Health Care Activities

“…Those who see the role as a springboard for improving community nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and disease prevention and for integrating health with other aspects of community development advocate placing more stress on the organizational than the technological skills of the auxiliary [46]. The danger is that the political organizing will go on at the expense of health activities [47].…”