MPH2048

Primary health care in developing countries ( 6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Dr C Morgan

Offered:
Clayton First semester 2005 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2005 (Day)
MMS-ALFRED Second semester 2005 (Day)

Synopsis: Principles of health policy development, program management & their application to the public health needs of communities in developing countries. Economic, cultural & political concerns. History, principles & practice of primary health care in developing countries. Key elements, developmental context & practical applications of project design, implementation & evaluation.

Objectives: On completion of this unit students should be able to: 1. Demonstrate a familiarity with the principles and elements of primary health care in developing countries; 2. Outline why other models of health care have failed to deliver effective, affordable health care to entire communities, and how a Primary Health Care (PHC) approach to health care differs from these other models; 3. Explain how primary health care has evolved in the last 25 years and what issues have shaped its development; 4. Describe the respective shortcomings of comprehensive and selective primary health care as health service delivery mechanisms; 5. Outline key cross-cutting issues in PHC and their significance in community health (gender; aging; integration, community participation; intersectoral collaboration; 6. Explain the importance of community health workers and peripheral service delivery in primary health care in developing countries; 7. Explain the role of global agencies, aid programs and other international health interventions in primary health care services; 8. Describe the process of good program planning, monitoring and evaluation; 9. Describe the underlying causes of poor community health in developing countries and the impact these have on health status; 10. Outline the role of community knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices in primary health care; 11. Describe the history of health care financing and the challenges facing health planners in developing countries; 12. Describe the strategies taken to maximise the likelihood of PHC succeeding as a health care system at village, district and country levels; 13. Explain the impact of health sector reforms and decentralisation on PHC and other international health interventions; 14. Explain the impact of an essential drugs policy on a health system and the wellbeing of the communities it serves.

Assessment: Essay 3,000 words (50%) open book, short-answer examination, based on a development scenario (50%).

Contact Hours: 6 x 2 weekday contact hours and 2 x 7 weekend contact hours - Semester one or an intensive five day block in Semester 1

Prerequisites: Basic computer proficiency MPH1040 & MPH1041 or MPH1030 & MPH1031

Corequisites: MPH1040 & MPH1041 or MPH1030 & MPH1031