Maternal and Child Health

Maternal and child health (MCH) is the public health discipline which deals with the promotion and protection of the health of women, child, adolescents, and their families and communities. Today, a significant percentage of the activities undertaken by international development agencies and professionals remain focused on the protection and improvement of the health and wellbeing of women, children, and families. It has become vital for health professionals -- whether they are serving in industrialized nations or resource-poor countries -- to acquire knowledge and to develop programs and policies addressing global issues in MCH. The textbook examines historical developments in MCH policies and programs, evaluating the rationale, success and shortcomings, and a critical appraisal of best practices and lessons learned. Current and emerging programmatic issues are also analyzed, which includes country examples of strategies used, MCH needs assessment and priority setting, program evaluation, and critical reviews of previous, current, and emerging evidence-based international MCH programs.Thematic issues such as gender issues in health (including topics on teenage pregnancy, female genital mutilation, abortion), communicable diseases (such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS), and non-communicable diseases (such as malnutrition, injury, disabilities) will be explored from an international perspective.