Maternal and Child Health in Developing Countries

Course Overview
The course will provide an understanding of the causes and functional effects of the MCH problems that are the most prominent causes of illness, disability and death. The student will acquire skills in assessing status of maternal and child health in a community, setting measurable MCH objectives, planning and evaluating appropriate and culturally-relevant interventions, and involving communities in these processes.

The course is designed for students having some familiarity with developing country living and working conditions who would like to work in the health field in resource-poor settings.

Objectives:
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

1. List the major socioeconomic and biomedical causes of illness, disability and mortality among women, mothers, adolescents and children globally.

2. List and describe the key prevention and treatment interventions recommended for wide scale implementation to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality globally.

3. List different strategies that can be used to implement interventions and describe their pros and cons.

4. Develop a plan for assessing community needs and involving the community in the design, implementation and evaluation of MCH programs.

5. Design one component of an MCH program for a specific setting, including the following elements: assessment of needs, involvement of the community, measurable objectives, a training plan, a technically correct and culturally-responsive intervention, and an evaluation plan.

6. Provide a critique of a proposal for an MCH program, based on its content, approach and presentation.