Biomaterial Database

The bureaucratic context of international health: a social scientist's view. 1987

J Justice

Institute for Health Policy Studies, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.

Using primary care as an example, this paper examines how the bureaucratic structures and culture of the international health agencies have affected the planning and delivery of health programs. Many primary health care programs were ineffective, as research undertaken in Nepal has shown, because they reflected the perspective and needs of the health bureaucracies involved rather than those of the local villages receiving services. Similarly, work in other South and Southeast Asian countries reveals that primary health care was interpreted differently in different bureaucratic settings and adapted to bureaucratic needs, but not necessarily adapted to village cultures and conditions. Social scientists, who are trained to analyze and articulate different cultural contexts, can play a key role in helping international health bureaucracies become more sensitive to the rural village cultures they serve.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007390	International Agencies	International organizations which provide health-related or other cooperative services.	Agencies, International,Agency, International,International Agency
D009390	Nepal	Country located in southern Asia, between China and India. The capital is Kathmandu.	Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
D011320	Primary Health Care	Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)	Primary Care,Primary Healthcare,Care, Primary,Care, Primary Health,Health Care, Primary,Healthcare, Primary
D003695	Delivery of Health Care	The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population.	Delivery of Dental Care,Health Care,Health Care Delivery,Health Care Systems,Community-Based Distribution,Contraceptive Distribution,Delivery of Healthcare,Dental Care Delivery,Distribution, Non-Clinical,Distribution, Nonclinical,Distributional Activities,Healthcare,Healthcare Delivery,Healthcare Systems,Non-Clinical Distribution,Nonclinical Distribution,Activities, Distributional,Activity, Distributional,Care, Health,Community Based Distribution,Community-Based Distributions,Contraceptive Distributions,Deliveries, Healthcare,Delivery, Dental Care,Delivery, Health Care,Delivery, Healthcare,Distribution, Community-Based,Distribution, Contraceptive,Distribution, Non Clinical,Distributional Activity,Distributions, Community-Based,Distributions, Contraceptive,Distributions, Non-Clinical,Distributions, Nonclinical,Health Care System,Healthcare Deliveries,Healthcare System,Non Clinical Distribution,Non-Clinical Distributions,Nonclinical Distributions,System, Health Care,System, Healthcare,Systems, Health Care,Systems, Healthcare
D003906	Developing Countries	Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.	LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D006285	Health Planning	Planning for needed health and/or welfare services and facilities.	Health and Welfare Planning,National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974,Planning, Health and Welfare,State Health Planning, United States,PL93-641,Public Law 93-641,Planning, Health,Public Law 93 641
D006291	Health Policy	Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.	Health Care Policies,Health Policies,Healthcare Policy,National Health Policy,Care Policies, Health,Health Care Policy,Health Policy, National,Healthcare Policies,National Health Policies,Policies, Health,Policies, Health Care,Policies, Healthcare,Policy, Health,Policy, Health Care,Policy, Healthcare
D001210	Asia, Southeastern	The geographical area of Asia comprising BORNEO; BRUNEI; CAMBODIA; INDONESIA; LAOS; MALAYSIA; the MEKONG VALLEY; MYANMAR (formerly Burma), the PHILIPPINES; SINGAPORE; THAILAND; and VIETNAM.	Southeast Asia,Southeastern Asia
D012942	Social Sciences	Disciplines concerned with the interrelationships of individuals in a social environment including social organizations and institutions. Includes Sociology and Anthropology.	Science, Social,Sciences, Social,Social Science
D014480	United Nations	An international organization whose members include most of the sovereign nations of the world with headquarters in New York City. The primary objectives of the organization are to maintain peace and security and to achieve international cooperation in solving international economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian problems.	UNICEF,ESCAP,Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,Latin American Demographic Center,UN,UNHCR,United Nations Children's Fund,United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)