Making progress in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity – need to conceptualise approach to health systems
This study uses data from South Africa, Russia, Bangladesh and Uganda
Abstract
The authors argue that part of the explanation of the failure to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity globally is the way that the health system is conceptualized and addressed in much of the maternal health field. They argue that there is a need to move from an implicit mechanistic approach to health systems towards a conceptualization of health systems that recognizes the fundamentally social and dynamic nature of health systems and health policy interventions “where everything depends on how people interpret and implement policy, and how users respond to new programmes and services” (McPake, Blaauw et al. 2006).
They use data from a range of studies carried out looking at maternal health services from a health system perspective in two middle income countries (South Africa, Russia) and two low income countries (Bangladesh, Uganda) to illustrate argument.
Citation
Health Systems Development Programme working paper 15/06, 17 pp.
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