Understanding Vertical Programming An Analysis of...

Introduction Given all the health issues public health practitioners must be aware of, why does a vertical public health program seem so appealing? A vertical public health program is one in which the majority of resources and expertise accumulated by health organization(s) are concentrated on one health issue, usually eradicating a particular disease. Strengths of vertical programming are the goals are straightforward and progress is easily measurable. A major weakness of this approach is it diverts attention and resources away from health organizations and initiatives aimed at treating all illnesses. We will look at how vertical programming was applied in the hookworm initiative carried out by the Rockefeller foundation during the early†¦show more content†¦The latrine was the symbol of heightened sanitary conditions for the campaign, and thus was a main component of hookworm eradication success. However, for the locals, building them was time-consuming and costly, which were never fac tored into the public health organizations plans. Most of the Java population, in fact, did not want to construct latrines because they would wash away during monsoon season (Stein, 550). Therefore, this shows that vertical programming fails to tailor appropriate interventions to the population of interest and puts the organizations prioritizes over the populations. This approach imposes health organization’s ambitions on the population of interest and forces them to embrace their practices. Vertical programming often lacks community input, participation, commitment, and buy-in. Even after 30 years, the hookworm infection rates only slightly declined (Stein, 551). Though the strength of vertical programming is that it concentrates resources to high priority health issues, it is also a weakness because the health issue deemed high priority by the public health organization is not always the same as that with the targeted community. Thus, public health practitioners should alwa ys take into account the social, political, and economic situation of a community or