Explores what can be done to move the widely-endorsed concept of community involvement in health from rhetoric to a functional reality. Noting that community involvement is often regarded as an expedient for gaining voluntary contributions of labour and resources, the book challenges health authorities and personnel to appreciate the magnitude of changes from a shift in the fundamental goals of development projects to a rethinking of the conventional provider-recipient model of health care needed to establish the kind of partnership with communities that leads to sustained improvements in health. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the distinction between merely seeking local support for a preconceived programme and the type of project that involves the people from the outset, empowers them to act as advocates for their own health needs, and thus creates a basis for continuing participation. The book has six main sections. The first examines the concept of community involvement in health in terms of its different interpretations, its main advantages, and the reasons why it is so rarely achieved in health development strategies. The second section considers the components of a coherent strategy for putting the concept into practice. Readers are given guidance on the requirements of a relevant and adequately planned methodology that accepts the development of community participation as a four-stage process whereby people are progressively enabled to take control over the factors affecting their health status. Readers are also reminded that the achievement of community involvement requires a long-term commitment of time and resources and a willingness to accept that signs of success must be measured differently. Other sections discuss the changes in educational programmes required to equip personnel to collaborate with communities, outline the essential health services needed to support and sustain community initiatives, and provide examples of approaches that have been used to monitor and evaluate effectiveness.

eng fre spa.

kor.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

4