Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Abstract BACKGROUND: To ascertain the effectiveness of a collaborative model between the Department
of Community Medicine and state health department to improve MCH outcomes among the urban
poor in Chandigarh.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi‑experimental study was conducted from 2011–12 to 2015–16
in the intervention and control areas. A collaboration was established between the state health
department and the Department of Community Medicine of an autonomous institute. The intervention
and control areas were mainly inhabited by the poor migrant population. Critical elements of an efficient
collaboration such as the early engagement of partners, clearly stated purpose with common goals,
effective communication, and no financial conflict were implemented in the intervention area. MCH
program’s implementation was strengthened through supportive supervision, enhanced community
engagement, male partner involvement, tracking of high‑risk pregnant women, and identification of
problem families. Trend analysis of MCH indicators was done. The difference‑in‑difference (DID)
analysis was done to measure the net effect of the intervention.
RESULTS: All the MCH indicators improved significantly in the intervention area compared to the
control area (P < 0.05). DID analysis depicted a net increase in the early registration of pregnancies
by 18%, tetanus toxoid immunization by 9.2%, and fully immunized children by 8.6%. There was also
an improvement in the maternal mortality ratio by 121.1 points, infant mortality rate by 2.2 points,
and neonatal mortality rate by 2.6 points in the intervention area.
CONCLUSION: An innovative, collaborative model between the state health department and the
Department of Community Medicine effectively improved the MCH outcomes in Chandigarh.

Abstract CONTEXT: During different planning periods, human resources factor has been considerably
increased in the health‑care sector.
AIMS: The main goal is to determine economic planning conditions and equilibrium growth for
services level and specialized workforce resources in health‑care sector and also to determine the gap
between levels of health‑care services and specialized workforce resources in the equilibrium growth
conditions and their available levels during the periods of the first to fourth development plansin Iran.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study after data collection, econometric methods and EViews
version 8.0 were used for data processing. The used model was based on neoclassical economic
growth model.
RESULTS: The results indicated that during the former planning periods, although specialized
workforce has been increased significantly in health‑care sector, lack of attention to equilibrium
growth conditions caused imbalance conditions for product level and specialized workforce in
health‑care sector.
CONCLUSIONS: In the past development plans for health services, equilibrium conditions based on
the full employment in the capital stock, and specialized labor are not considered. The government
could act by choosing policies determined by the growth model to achieve equilibrium level in the
field of human resources and services during the next planning periods.