Integrating maternal and child health with primary health care in Saudi Arabia.
Integration is an important tool for successful implementation of components of a comprehensive health programme. We describe strategies adopted to integrate the Saudi maternal and child health (MCH) activities with other primary health care (PHC) components in order to achieve optimal quality care. Achieving such integration was one of the specific objectives of the MCH programme. Besides training MCH workers, other important tools of MCH/PHC integration included: organization, supervision, continuing education, data management and health systems research. The strengths and weaknesses of integration are discussed while the opportunities, limitations and implications are reviewed.
Baldo
M H
MH
Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Khoja
T A
TA
al-Mazrou
Y Y
YY
Basuliman
M O
MO
Aziz
K M
KM
D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006295:Health Resources / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration