COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES Organization of Health Services • History and current trends • Health care providers • Need and demand for health • Population coverage • Levels of health services • Primary health care • Principles of primary health care • Community involvement and intersectoral collaboration • Community-based health care • Health care financing HISTORY AND CURRENT TRENDS IN HEALTH SERVICES Taking care of sick people has been a part of human nature since time immemorial. Gradually, some of those providing care became more skilled and were sought out by others. From these simple beginnings, the traditional healers, herbalists, bonesetters and, more recently, doctors, nurses and other paramedical health workers of today, have evolved. With advances in medical science, the services offered by these practitioners have become more complicated, more specialized and more expensive. Special facilities, such as buildings (dispensaries, health centers and hospitals) and various types of equipment (x-rays, electrocardiograms, MRIs), have been developed to cater for these more specialized functions. Governments have become involved in coordinating the various services and in trying to provide health services for all. In a few countries, government have taken over all the organized health services but in most, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, the church and non-government organizations (NGOs) are responsible for between 25% and 50% of all hospital services. At the same time, local traditional healers are still to be found, often in large numbers.