Nrsg 512:Health Policy Development Question Paper
Nrsg 512:Health Policy Development
Course:Nursing
Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers
Exam Year:2011
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF NURSING SCIENCES
DURATION: 3 HRS
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Answer ALL Questions in Section A, TWO Questions in B 2. Write your University ID on ALL scripts 3. Use only blue, black ball point or ink
SECTION A
Question 1
Define Health policy. (2marks)
Question 2
a) List two (2) of the policy theories you covered in your course work. (2marks)
b) List the advantages and disadvantages of each of theories mentioned in (2a) (8marks)
Question 3
Explain five (5) elements of a health policy that are important in policy analysis and the policy making process. (10marks)
Question 4
Discuss the steps in policy making process. (15marks)
Question 5
Explain five (5) strategic approaches that are important in enhancing stakeholder participation in health policy development. (15marks)
SECTION B (Choose Question 1a or 1b)
Question 1
Immediately you qualify, you receive information that the Minister of Public Health and Sanitation wants you to report to Afya House (MOH HQRs) to head the department of Non-communicable diseases. On arrival, you are told by the Permanent Secretary that you are required to undertake a thorough and comprehensive policy analysis in two areas, namely: Alcohol and caesarian section procedures in private health facilities. Drawing on your experience and knowledge in applying key elements of health policy.
a) Develop a policy frame work to regulate the availability and use of alcohol from a public health perspective. (25marks)
OR
b) Develop a policy frame work to regulate the practice and ever-rising costs of performing caesarian section procedures especially in the private sector health facilities. (25marks)
Question 2
Comprehensive analysis of the content, context, process, actors and the legal framework for implementation of a particular policy area is a critical step in helping policy makers, programme managers. Implementers and the community to address issues of public health importance. Use ONE area or issue you are familiar with in public health to discuss and elaborate on this observation. (25marks)
Emerging Issues And Challenges
Health Care Financing The health sector`s expenditure accounts for 8 per cent of the total government expenditure, constituting 1.7 per cent of the GDP, and USD 10.9 per capita. However, this amount remains inadequate when compared with the WHO recommendation that developing countries spend an average of USD 34 per capita on health care. This will enable the country to cope with the rising burden of diseases and other emerging health concerns and ultimately achieve the Millennium Development Goals on improved health care. Similarly, during the Abuja Declaration, African governments (including Kenya) made commitments to allocate 15 percent of their annual spending on the provision of health care services.
Health facilities constructed through Constituency Development fund About 1,000 dispensaries have been constructed to address the need for people to have access to health services especially in underserved areas of the country. However these facilities face challenges in terms of staffing and medical supplies. This has called for their adoption in phases. Currently, 294 of the facilities have been gazette and a further 336 are planned for gazettement . In order to undertake a rational development of health service infrastructure to ensure equity, the MoH will undertake a comprehensive health facility mapping, which will provide the necessary information for policy development. This information will be useful in the proper targeting of construction of health facilities using CDF resources, efficient management of human resource for health and linkages with local Authorities for service delivery.
Human Resource in Health In addition to insufficient human resources, the health sector also suffers from a mal-distribution of the available health personnel, with some rural dispensaries having an insufficient number of health personnel at the dispensary level, with 50 per cent of the dispensaries managed by support or nurse. This situation calls for the harmonization of staffing needs and deployment in order to address equity in the distribution of health care workers.
Weak Health Management Information Systems Despite extensive previous investments, the current Health Management Information system (HMIS) does not provide timely and comprehensive data. Taking into account the emerging decentralized systems, disease burden, prevention and other epidemiological trends, the system provides limited information for monitoring health goals and empowering individuals and communities with timely and understandable information on health. Focus will therefore be directed towards strengthening health information systems. This will require ICT connectivity, systems redesigning and capacity building for health care workers critical in data generation and management.
Question 3
The above case shows challenges. The challenges are examples of issues that face the health sector (extracted form social pillar of vision 2030 Medium Term plan document Page 99 ROK MOPND -for the period 2008-2012) Identify and discuss additional issues that affect the proper Functioning or performance of each of the above components. (25marks)
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