| 1. Title: Women's choices of health agents in Tanzania. Author: McCurdy S Source: In: Women's health and apartheid: the health of women and children and the future of progressive primary health care in Southern Africa, edited by Marcia Wright, Zena Stein and Jean Scandlyn. New York, New York, Columbia University, 1988. :114-29. Paper presented at the Third Workshop of the Project on Poverty, Health and the State in Southern Africa, sponsored by The Committee on Health in Southern Africa, Medico International, Columbia University, held at Columbia University, May 13-15, 1988 Abstract: As the primary health care decision makers for their families, women make decisions that can be analyzed to determine the health care needs of communities, and how to improve health care systems. Standardized interviews and informal discussions were used to analyze the health care decisions of 60 women from 3 villages in the Iringa region of Tanzania. An introductory section describes the Tanzanian government, and international agencies providing primary health care in Tanzania. 1 village, Luduga, had higher utilization of biomedical services. This village has a higher rate of miscarriages and stillbirths, and problems with pregnancy was the most common reason for delivery in a hospital. Distance from the hospital site did not appear to be a major factor affecting attendance. In Luduga, little knowledge of traditional medicine has been retained, compared to the other 2 villages where the biomedical health system is used less often. The role of traditional birth attendants appears to be changing, as many traditions remain intact in Makangarawe, but in Luduga they simply escort women to the hospital. Despite the presence of a local dispensary in Luduga, women consider the care their inadequate, and prefer to travel 2 hours to a mission hospital. Local government opposition to traditional medicine appears to have contributed significantly to its decline in Luduga. Language: English Keywords: TANZANIA | AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | AFRICA | HEALTH FACILITIES | HEALTH SERVICES | MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES | EVALUATION | MEDICINE, TRADITIONAL | PRIMARY HEALTH CARE | QUALITATIVE EVALUATION | PROGRAM ACCEPTABILITY | HEALTH SERVICES EVALUATION | INDIGENOUS HEALTH SERVICES | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | SURVEYS | RURAL HEALTH SERVICES | RESEARCH REPORT | WOMEN | Africa, Eastern | Developing Countries | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Maternal-Child Health Services | Medicine | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population Document Number: 193546 |
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