Primary health care and Protestant medical missionaries in Kenya
Jacobson, M.L.
Tropical Doctor 15(4): 198-199
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0049-4755 PMID: 4049515 DOI: 10.1177/004947558501500420Document Number: 416955
In spite of a long relationship between medical missions and primary health care, relatively few medical missions and missionaries have actively embraced and implemented primary health care programs. This study reports on the present activity level of Protestant medical missionaries in primary health care (PHC). From September through December 1983, the 79 member organizations and facilities of the Protestant Church Medical Association in Kenya were provided with questionnaires to be answered by expatriate medical mission staff. A total of 61 individuals returned questionnaires. Background characteristics of the respondents and self-determined estimates of the % of time spent on various activities are presented. The major site where work was done was reported to be the hospital for 64% of respondents, while the remainder reported working mainly outside the hospital setting. Doctors were significantly more likely to be hospital-based than nurses. PHC activities account for a mean of only 13% of the work week and hospital-based activities, 62%. One might expect that missionaries of longer experience would be more aware of local needs and become more involved in PHC, but this survey does not lend support to such a hypothesis. Such evidence of little involvement in PHC ought to be a major challenge to medical missionaries. It is argued that medical personnel within the church are in a unique position to develop and promote PHC.