Food-poverty status and food insecurity in rural West Lombok based on mothers' food expenditure equivalency.

Background: When the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) developed a national food-poverty line for Indonesia, some aspects, such as food availability,food beliefs, and food habits, were not considered. In addition, the reference population was determined on the basis of their nonfood expenditures.

Objective: To develop and use a method applicable in any given sociocultural setting, as well as to determine food-poverty status in rural West Lombok, Indonesia, using mothers'food expenditure equivalency (FEE).

The effectiveness of patient referral in Pakistan.

In Pakistan, despite an elaborate network of over 5000 basic health units and rural health centres, supported by higher-level facilities, primary health care activities have not brought about expected improvements in health status, especially of rural population groups. A poorly functioning referral system may be partly to blame. System analysis of patient referral was conducted in a district of Punjab province (Attock) for the purpose of identifying major shortcomings, if any, in this domain.

Monitoring of primary health care services: an example from western Uganda.

Results from baseline and follow-up surveys of the Basic Health Services Program in Kabarole District, Western Uganda carried out in 1989 and 1991 are presented. Indicators in relation to management capability, infrastructure, levels of basic knowledge and skills of health staff, community involvement and utilization of health services were measured. Subjectivity of the data collection was minimized through use of a randomized study design, and external supervision.