Leadership Advocacy Challenges In Maternal and Child Health Essay.
A nation’s ability to provide quality maternal and child health care services is a basic indicator of the overall development in public and community health wellbeing. This reflects the importance of maternal and child health as a cornerstone of a healthy and thriving society. Maternal and child health is concerned with all the major aspects of a properly functioning health care system including quality of life and rights and justice to access healthcare services (Kotch, 2012). Ensuring equitable access to healthcare for mothers and children is crucial for achieving social justice and promoting overall well-being. Given its importance as an indicator of healthcare development, major global initiatives on public and community health care have focused on improving the maternal and child health. These initiatives recognize the interconnectedness of maternal and child health with broader development goals. The assumption is that by focusing on the maternal and child health development, it would be easier to address all the issues concerned with the realization of sustainable development goals. This approach emphasizes the potential of investing in maternal and child health to create a ripple effect of positive change across various sectors. Maternal and child health advocacy has, therefore, emerged as an important step in realizing the Millennium Development Goals and other initiatives towards quality public and community development. Advocacy plays a vital role in mobilizing resources, raising awareness, and influencing policy changes to improve maternal and child health outcomes. It is necessary for leaders in public and community development advocacy groups to focus on maternal and child health as the main driver towards the overall goals. By prioritizing maternal and child health, leaders can contribute to building a more equitable and sustainable future for all. Therefore this paper focuses on maternal and child health advocacy initiatives and the issues faced by leaders in these initiatives. This paper aims to shed light on the challenges and opportunities associated with leading maternal and child health advocacy efforts.
Improving maternal and child health requires significant investments in the public health care system. These investments are essential for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, training healthcare professionals, and expanding access to essential services. There must be a political will to ensure allocation of enough resources in realizing major goals towards quality services (Leveridge et al., 2007). Political commitment is crucial for translating policy goals into tangible actions and securing the necessary funding for maternal and child health programs. Public institutions play a key role in setting the objectives for community health, and the process involves identifying causes for poor outcomes, promoting community awareness and developing effective public policies through legislations (Pillitteri, 2010). Public institutions have a responsibility to create an enabling environment for maternal and child health by implementing evidence-based policies and programs. The progression in these steps aligns well with the role of advocacy initiatives in realizing better outcomes for maternal and child health. Advocacy groups can work in partnership with public institutions to ensure that maternal and child health priorities are reflected in policy and program development. Advocacy groups influence the objectives of the public institutions towards addressing the major issues in communities, such as the challenges faced by women during childbirth and postnatal care. By raising awareness and advocating for policy changes, advocacy groups can help to address these critical issues and improve maternal and child health outcomes. This study is significant given the relationship between the issues in maternal and child health and the functioning of the community health care system. Understanding this relationship is essential for developing effective strategies to improve maternal and child health and strengthen the overall healthcare system.
Advocacy initiatives are normally geared towards addressing the major concerns of the most vulnerable people in society, such as the health care needs of the poor (Goffin, 1988). Vulnerable populations often face disproportionate barriers to accessing quality healthcare, making them particularly reliant on advocacy efforts. Mothers and children constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in any society, and their wellbeing is central to the overall wellbeing of people in society (Victora et al., 2003). Investing in maternal and child health is not only a moral imperative but also an investment in the future of society. It is by focusing on these groups that the advocacy groups can improve the quality of lives for everyone in the target community. By empowering mothers and children, advocacy groups contribute to building stronger and more resilient communities. There is a wide range of issues which can be addressed as part of the policy issues in maternal and child health, including health disparities and provision of basic infrastructure facilities to support social and economic development (Cohen et al., 2001). Addressing these multifaceted issues requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach involving government, civil society, and the private sector. Vulnerable groups need the active participation of advocacy groups to act as their representatives and facilitators when dealing with public institutions concerned with the allocation of public resources (Carlisle, 2000). Advocacy groups provide a voice for the marginalized and ensure that their needs are considered in decision-making processes.
Transformative policies in health care treat the needs of the vulnerable groups as human rights (Cooper et al., 2004). Recognizing the human rights of mothers and children is essential for ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services. The right of woman and children to access quality health care services plays an integral part in realizing the global goals in public and community health wellbeing (world health report, 2005). Universal access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right and a key driver of sustainable development. The specific issues involved in access to quality care include the availability of trained medical personnel and medical facilities (Kane et al., 1992). Addressing these resource gaps is crucial for improving the quality and accessibility of maternal and child health services. When these resources are provided to cater for the needs of maternal and child health, the whole community benefits through improved overall access to quality care. Investing in maternal and child health has a positive ripple effect on the entire community, leading to a healthier and more prosperous society. Leaders in public advocacy groups need to understand and focus on the relationship between addressing the basic issues affecting the vulnerable groups and the overall improvement in the public health care system. By advocating for policies that address the root causes of health inequities, leaders can contribute to building a more just and equitable healthcare system for all.
References
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