ABSTRACT
The survey was carried out to assess the level of health and health care communities in large scale farms (LSF's). Bindura Rural Council area was chosen and six farms were surveyed covering 164 households and 223 children under the age of five. The survey showed what had previously been subjectively reported: high levels of child malnutrition; poor living environments; inadequate diets and low levels of access to health care. The poor health on farms was largely a product of the poor social and economic conditions of farm labour and required broad socio-economic solutions. A primary health care scheme was started in the Bindura area. It centered around the training of farm health workers and improving mobile clinic primary care services; sponsored by the Save the Children Fund (SCF) (UK) and the Ministry of Health. Over time; such schemes spread into other parts of the country. A number of evaluations have been carried out to determine their successes and problems; as well as the changing of health of the communities on farms
Subject(s)
Community Health Services , Health Surveys , Primary Health Care , Rural HealthABSTRACT
The survey was carried out to assess the level of health and health care communities in large scale farms (LSF's). Bindura Rural Council area was chosen and six farms were surveyed covering 164 households and 223 children under the age of five. The survey showed what had previously been subjectively reported high levels of child malnutrition; poor living environments; inadequate diets and low levels of access to health care. The poor health on farms was largely a product of the poor social and economic conditions of farm labour and required broad socio-economic solutions. A primary health care scheme was started in the Bindura area. It centered around the training of farm health workers and improving mobile clinic primary care services; sponsored by the Save the Children Fund (SCF) (UK) and the Ministry of Health. Over time; such schemes spread into other parts of the country. A number of evaluations have been carried out to determine their successes and problems; as well as the changing of health of the communities on farms
Subject(s)
Community Health ServicesABSTRACT
The statement 'capitalism causes disease' voiced in left wing circles can be accused of having little theoretical or political content. (Doyal; 1983). It is necessary to examine more concretely the ways in which capitalist sytem create contradictions between their economic objectives and health; and to explore the implications of these findings for the organisation of health care specifically; and for economic policy in general. These issues are examined in this thesis in the context of the economic and political history of Zimbabwe; with a focus of the distribution and determinants of health in labour communities. The strategies and organisation of the colonial mode of production are analysed historically to identify factors pertinent to the development of differentials in economic and political status of labour groups within the commercial farming; mining and urban sectors. The major factors indentified are:- i. the extent and distribution of local and foreign ownership or productive assets. ii. the orientation of sector production towards external markets iii. the mechanisms for expanding the labour pool; creating low wage structures and insecurity of employment; and iv. the stucture and extent of labour organisation and politacal representation. [abstract terminated]