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Community involvement in health development in post‐apartheid South Africa
Author(s) -
ChimereDan Golda C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.4740070405
Subject(s) - economic growth , patience , democratization , community health , politics , community development , political science , health equity , inequality , population , public relations , development economics , health care , medicine , environmental health , psychology , democracy , social psychology , economics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , law
In this article, some challenges for the implementation of community involvement in health programmes in post‐apartheid South Africa are examined. Viewed against the background of racial segregation and inequalities in the South African health system, effective community involvement in health development would be an extension of ongoing democratization in which previously marginalized people in the majority population group are given the opportunity to participate in decisions and programmes affecting their health. This situation calls for sensitivity with respect to the criteria for adopting given models of community involvement and the political correlates of particular health programmes. Also, considerable patience would be required until the belated efforts to produce adequate personnel support for community involvement begins to yield returns, and until the communities experience a level of economic development which can support community health programmes financially.