Equity, empowerment and choice: from theory to practice in public health.
The purpose of this article is to illustrate how a framework that links equity and empowerment to improved health outcomes for those who live in poverty can be a useful tool for planning and managing health programmes. Using the work of Amartya Sen, Susan Rifkin has developed a framework described in the acronym CHOICE. The article applies the framework to two case studies from Kenya seeking to reduce the disease burdens of malaria and HIV/AIDS. The article examines how the process of pursuing equity and empowerment either supports the positive health outcomes identified as objectives and/or strengthens these outcomes.
Ratna
Jalpa
J
London School of Economics, London, UK.
Rifkin
Susanb
S
D003256:Community Participation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011203:Poverty; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011635:Public Health Administration