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LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY LEADERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON CHILD HEALTH AND MORTALITY AND INEQUITY ISSUES IN RURAL EASTERN INDONESIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2016

Jerico Franciscus Pardosi ,
Nick Parr  and
Salut Muhidin
Jerico Franciscus Pardosi*
Affiliation:
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Department of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health, Indonesia
Nick Parr
Affiliation:
Department of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Salut Muhidin
Affiliation:
Department of Marketing and Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
*
1Corresponding author. Email: jerico.pardosi@unsw.edu.au
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Summary

Since 2001 a decentralization policy has increased the responsibility placed on local government for improving child health in Indonesia. This paper explores local government and community leaders’ perspectives on child health in a rural district in Indonesia, using a qualitative approach. Focus group discussions were held in May 2013. The issues probed relate to health personnel skills and motivation, service availability, the influence of traditional beliefs, and health care and gender inequity. The participants identify weak leadership, inefficient health management and inadequate child health budgets as important issues. The lack of health staff in rural areas is seen as the reason for promoting the use of traditional birth attendants. Midwifery graduates and village midwives are perceived as lacking motivation to work in rural areas. Some local traditions are seen as detrimental to child health. Husbands provide little support to their wives. These results highlight the need for a harmonization and alignment of the efforts of local government agencies and local community leaders to address child health care and gender inequity issues.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 123 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2016 

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