Maternity care and nutrition in a rural area of bangladesh: a household surgery

Determine knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers about maternity care and nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and knowledge and practice of traditional birth attendants about obstetric care. Research Design and Cross-sectional household survey. All households in which there was a child 12 months of age or below in three villages were included. Seventy-six mothers and twelve traditional birth attendants were interviewed using standard questionnaires. Setting: Palongkhali Union, a rural area in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh. The majority of mothers [92.1%] did not visit a health worker during their last pregnancy. Mothers had false beliefs about food, such as fish and eggs during pregnancy and lactation. Although traditional birth attendants attended the majority of deliveries [77.6%], their knowledge and training about maternity care were inadequate. Mothers of Palongkhali Union had poor knowledge and false beliefs about food and nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. Health care and services for pregnant mothers were inadequate. Knowledge and attitudes of traditional birth attendants about maternity care were poor. Improvement of maternal and child health services and appropriate training of traditional birth attendants are needed

[Future of health services in Saudi Arabia]

The paper discusses the future of the health services in Saudi Arabia in the light of past experience. It refers to the steady development of health services and medical education in the country. The author foresees that hospital services will be delegated gradually to the private sector. The Ministry of Health will concentrate on the issues of planning, training, standardization and preventive services. Primary health care will continue its progress according to the fourth developmental plan. It will be a more comprehensive and extended service. The health team will take the health services out to the community, and the community will be more active in the planning, implementation. and evaluation of the health services. The colleges of medicine and the health institutes will further develop their curricula in order to prepare health workers who are skilled in comprehensive health care. Health planning will depend, in the future, on more scientific criteria like morbidity and mortality rates. The author anticipates further decentralization and regionalization of the health services system

Cancer in Saudi Arabia

This article reviews the literature on the problem of cancer in Saudi Arabia. Several studies on cancer have been undertaken in Saudi Arabia, mostly of an epidemiologic nature, to define the magnitude of the problem. In the absence of a national survey or national cancer registration, these studies are the only source of information to date on cancer in the Kingdom. A comparison of prevalence or incidence between Saudi Arabia and other countries is quite difficult because of a lack of information on the base population and differences in the age distribution. Cancer in Saudi Arabia is an ever-increasing problem as people change their life style and longevity increases. The incidence of cancer is estimated at around 800 new cases per million population per year. More than 70% of the cancer patients are admitted to hospital in an advanced stage. Health education programs for the public and health professionals should promote awareness, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment

Schistosomiasis in Saudi Arabia

The article discusses the prevalence of schistosomiasis in Saudi Arabia and the problem facing its control. Saudi Arabia is located between two of the major endemic schistosomiasis areas in the world, the Nile River and the Tigris and Euphrates valleys. Four species of snail Sarawat mountains where there are various natural water sources. About 6.5% pf the population suffer from schistosomiasis. The disease in general is predominat among the lower age group and affects males more than females. The infection rate is heavy along permanent and main streams and moderate to low in remote areas. If control measures are carried out appropriately, schistosomiasis need not be a problem in Saudi Arabia by the year 2000

Health services in Saudi Arabia - Part I: an overview

Health services have become available everywhere in Saudi Arabia and within the reach of almost every individual but although the rapid growth over the last 15 years and the diversity of its resources has brought widely available and quality services, it has also brought some problems. The most important theme in the health services system in Saudi Arabia today is the development of primary health care and health manpower. This overview describes and details the growth of health services and the organization of and expenditure on health care with an appreciation of past achievements and a consideration of the political commitment and the potential resources available. The future of the kingdom's health services looks promising

new faculty of medicine at Abha, Saudi Arabia

The Faculty of Medicine at Abha is the fourth medical school in Saudi Arabia. Its main objective is to produce physicians and ultimately other members of the health team who are adequately trained to meet the health needs and demands of the country. The main features of the educational programme are that it is family medicine oriented with problem-solving and multidisciplinary approaches. The curriculum calls for an early and balanced exposure of students to clinical medicine, behavioural sciences and family and community health. Training will take place on the main campus as well as in health centres, hospitals and in the community as a whole, using the Ministry of Health and community resources. Whenever possible training will bring together the various members of the health team. It is hoped that the Faculty in co-operation with the three other faculties of medicine, health institutes, the Ministry of Health and other government and non-government organizations will make a significant contribution to the medical education, research and health services in the country