The RHII is a special initiative implemented by Initiatives Inc. in coordination with JSI to promote and strengthen the integration of reproductive health services into the portfolios of non-governmental community organizations currently focused on other development concerns. Building on their community links and their existing infrastructure, NGOs are in a unique position to offer contraceptive and reproductive health services. It guides them through the steps of selecting a strategy and developing a monitoring system, a staffing plan and logistical and financial systems. At the same time, it helps the NGO to evaluate its ability and commitment to integrate RH into their ongoing activities by focusing on local needs, organizational strengths and program sustainability options. Over the past few decades, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have steadily chipped away at their infant mortality rates.
Results are impressive-today, more children survive past infancy than ever before.
But, as more and more children live to enroll in school, concern over the quality of their lives takes center stage. The physical and psychological status of these children lies at the heart of this concern, because a child who has developed to the peak of his or her potential will be happier and learn better-and ultimately will grow up to become a more fully engaged, productive citizen. They also review results from early childhood interventions, including nutritional supplementation and psychological stimulation, as well as interventions in later childhood, including school feeding and deworming programs. This 560-page book contains contributions from over 80 of the most eminently qualified specialists in medical informatics from more than 20 countries in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Their papers provide a global view of the potential of the Internet and the role of informatics in health care.