Healthcare Services and Delivery: Community Participation and Ownership
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION & OWNERSHIP IN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN NIGERIA BY MUHAMMAD AWWAL WAZIRI RCHP; PGD HIV/AIDS; CAGH; B.Sc CommHealth; MLM; PHCT;TQM; DCH; CCH
“The minds and ideas of people is the greatest resource a community has”. Phil Bartle
The Alma ata declaration of September 12th, 1978 expressed the need for urgent action by all governments, all health and development workers, and the world community to protect and promote the health of all the people of the world, in its declaration No. 5 states “…universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination.”
The revised National Health Policy (2004) underscored the importance of community participation where it stated thus: “Governments of the Federation shall devise appropriate mechanisms for involving communities in the planning and implementation of services on matters affecting their health - District Health System, Ward Health System, Model PHC Centres, and Traditional Leaders Committee on EPI & PHC”.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION?
It means people in a community share in the responsibility of caring for their own health, in creating and preserving a healthy environment, in preventing factors that could threaten people’s health from getting a foothold in that community, and in doing their part for the maintenance of health in general.
Community participation also means people are encouraged to participate in making decisions about their own health, in identifying the health needs of their community and in considering the merits of alternative approaches to addressing those needs. This principle ensures respect for diversity. It also means the design and delivery of health care is flexible and responsive. Participation ensures effective and strategic planning for, and the evaluation of,
“The minds and ideas of people is the greatest resource a community has”. Phil Bartle
The Alma ata declaration of September 12th, 1978 expressed the need for urgent action by all governments, all health and development workers, and the world community to protect and promote the health of all the people of the world, in its declaration No. 5 states “…universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination.”
The revised National Health Policy (2004) underscored the importance of community participation where it stated thus: “Governments of the Federation shall devise appropriate mechanisms for involving communities in the planning and implementation of services on matters affecting their health - District Health System, Ward Health System, Model PHC Centres, and Traditional Leaders Committee on EPI & PHC”.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION?
It means people in a community share in the responsibility of caring for their own health, in creating and preserving a healthy environment, in preventing factors that could threaten people’s health from getting a foothold in that community, and in doing their part for the maintenance of health in general.
Community participation also means people are encouraged to participate in making decisions about their own health, in identifying the health needs of their community and in considering the merits of alternative approaches to addressing those needs. This principle ensures respect for diversity. It also means the design and delivery of health care is flexible and responsive. Participation ensures effective and strategic planning for, and the evaluation of,
References: Baum F.; Laverack G. & Labonte R. (2008). 7th Global conference on Health promotion: Track themes to Health Care Reform. Retrieved May 25th, 2010 from www/PHC_Presentation_Kirby_6602_e.pdf Federal Ministry of Health. (2004). Revised national health policy. Medicine for the tropics (4th ed.). India: BookPower Limited Nursing Crib.Com (2009) principles and strategies. Retrieved May 25th, 2010 from www.Nursing Crib.html Olise P. (2007). Primary health care for sustainable development. Reid J.N. (2000). Community Participation: How People Power Brings Sustainable Benefits to Communities World Health Organization. (1978). Alma-ata declaration. Russia: Author