classical approach
HEALTH SYSTEMS
AURTHOR (S)
Kovin S Naidoo: Brien Holden Vision Institute, Public Health Division, Durban, South Africa; University of KwaZulu
Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa
Brien Holden: Brien Holden Vision Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
PEER REVIEWER (S)
Ron Fyfe:Past Chairman of the Public Health Committee of WCO; Currently: Asia Pacific representative on WCO
Public Health Committee and member of the board of Vision 2020 New Zealand
THIS CHAPTER WILL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF:
The district health system
Defining the role of different cadres
THE DISTRICT HEALTH SYSTEM
The district health system has been identified as the appropriate building block for a national health system by the WHO.
It is a model that is promoted as a solution to creating access to health care at a local level, distributing services to different levels of the health care system and facilitating the appropriate referral pathways. While many countries have adopted the district health system as a model often the provision of eyecare within this system is ill defined. A greater inadequacy is the absence of a role of optometry within such a model.
The district health system is crucial to the delivery of primary health care.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTRICT HEALTH SYSTEM
A number of discrete geographical sub-divisions, usually called health districts, each with a clearly defined catchment population
“A district health system based on primary health care is a more or less self contained segment of the national health system. It comprises first and foremost a well defined population, living within a clearly delineated administrative and geographic area, whether urban or rural. It Includes all institutions and individuals providing health care in the district, whether governmental social security, non-governmental, private or traditional. A district health system therefore consists of a large variety of interrelated elements that
AURTHOR (S)
Kovin S Naidoo: Brien Holden Vision Institute, Public Health Division, Durban, South Africa; University of KwaZulu
Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa
Brien Holden: Brien Holden Vision Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
PEER REVIEWER (S)
Ron Fyfe:Past Chairman of the Public Health Committee of WCO; Currently: Asia Pacific representative on WCO
Public Health Committee and member of the board of Vision 2020 New Zealand
THIS CHAPTER WILL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF:
The district health system
Defining the role of different cadres
THE DISTRICT HEALTH SYSTEM
The district health system has been identified as the appropriate building block for a national health system by the WHO.
It is a model that is promoted as a solution to creating access to health care at a local level, distributing services to different levels of the health care system and facilitating the appropriate referral pathways. While many countries have adopted the district health system as a model often the provision of eyecare within this system is ill defined. A greater inadequacy is the absence of a role of optometry within such a model.
The district health system is crucial to the delivery of primary health care.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DISTRICT HEALTH SYSTEM
A number of discrete geographical sub-divisions, usually called health districts, each with a clearly defined catchment population
“A district health system based on primary health care is a more or less self contained segment of the national health system. It comprises first and foremost a well defined population, living within a clearly delineated administrative and geographic area, whether urban or rural. It Includes all institutions and individuals providing health care in the district, whether governmental social security, non-governmental, private or traditional. A district health system therefore consists of a large variety of interrelated elements that
References: Pretoria, 2006 Rao GN, 2005.An infrastructure model for the implementation of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.Journal of Community Eye Health, 18(54): S61-62.Source: World Health Organisation, 1988.The challenge of implementation: district health systems for primary health care.Part A pp 7-11.World Health