"Because in many areas . .. education is limited an
modern facilities which simplify health promotion an
maintenance e.g. garbage disposal facilities, sewag
sytems, public water treatment, and distributio
systems are not available, it is not always easy fo
indidivuals to assume responsibility for their ow
health. It is the purpose of health education to giv
information to the community and individual familie
which explains the relationship between persona
habits and health/illness and demonstrates accessib]
and culturally acceptable methods for
alterin
lifestyle in order to enhance heaith.
It
is th
purpose of environmental health (and other preventiv
health methods) to design and assist individuals t
make use of appropriate facilities and practices i
order to implement the knowledge given them by healt
educators. Likewise, community nutrition programs ar
designed to demonstrate and assist people to put thei
knowledge into practice."
Recently the World Health Organization has set as its tar
people of the world would have access to better health care "by
the year
2000", and it specified that the method would be through "prinjary health
care."
In the Marshall Islands, as in many developing countries, {ithe health
worker at the "primary" (usually rural) level must integrate bot§
and
preventive/promotive"
recommended here as well.
health
care
into
his
practice.
“curative
This
is
By combining the Primary Care (curative) clinical
services, and the Public Health (preventive) services under one|department
this goal will be easier to accomplish.
The existing primary care workers in the M.I. at the dispengary/clinic
level are generally under-utilized (most see an average of only 345 patients
a day).
Oue to lack of supervision, education, and material sugport their
ability to function as “community/family health" educators has bgen minimal
to non-existent.
In many developing countries of the world intdgration of
the "curative" and "preventive" role in one person jis being utifized.
Two
factors make this integrated approach logical in the Marshall Is}ands - the
generally smal] curative work load and the impossibility of puulic health
personnel being able to visit the outlying istands on any regulaw schedule.
The following public health components will be approached from this
Bh
perspective.