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Principles of health infrastructure planning in less developed countries
Author(s) -
Unger J.P.,
Criel Bart
Publication year - 1995
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.4740100205
Subject(s) - public health , population , division (mathematics) , business , health care , population health , political science , environmental health , medicine , mathematics , law , nursing , arithmetic
This article proposes a number of key principles for health infrastructure planning, based on a literature review on the one hand, and on a process of internal deduction on the other. The principles discussed are the following: an integrated health system; a thrifty planning of tiers within that health system; a specificity of tiers; a homogeneity of the tiers' structures; a minimum package of activities; a territorial responsibility and/or an explicit and discrete responsibility for a well‐defined population; a necessary and sufficient population basis; a partial separation of administrative and public health planning bases; and, finally, rules for a geographical division and integration of nongovernmental organizations. The definition of two strategies, primary health care and district health systems, is also revisited.