One of the main characteristics of urbanization in Asia is the very rapid increase in population movement from rural to urban centers. This phenomenon has led to changing population structure, its composition and lifestyles in the cities and its fringes. As a consequent of population pressure on urban system and infrastructure, compounded by the nature of the composition of the in-migrant population, the urban concentrates are faced with several social and socio-economic problems. Although there has been a lot of interests among researchers to study the causes and effects or urbanization, there is a vacuum in the area of health implications. Planners and administrators usually give priority to the physical aspects of the urban and urbanities. Social problems and health implications thereof receives very little attention either at the level of administration or research. This paper therefore is a brave attempt to focus and draw some attention to this neglected area by looking at selected social problems and the health consequences.
With 25% of its population living in over 148 squatter settlements, with a high incidence of communicable diseases, teenage pregnancies, and psychological and familial stress, the city of Kuala Lumpur has sought ways to improve conditions. This article describes one particularly promising approach: community-based centers integrating three socioeconomic components--preschool education, maternal and child health clinics, and income-generating activities.
PIP: The accomplishments of the Sang Kancil Intervention program, a project designed to improve the living conditions of squatter communities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are described. 25% of Kuala Lumpur's population lives in 148 squatter settlements, where life is especially difficult for women and children. Hoping to improve the living conditions of the urban poor, Kuala Lumpur's City hall initiated the Sang Kancil Intervention program. This program contains 3 components: preschool education, maternal and child health, and income generation. The preschool component provides education, food supplements, and medical checkups and treatment to children in the squatter settlements. In order to foster community participation, the teachers of the preschool program are chosen from among the squatter community, and mothers are encouraged to become involved. Evaluations of the preschools reveal positive attitudes from mothers and teachers, high attendance rates, and higher IQ test scores among children attending the preschool than among children not in the program. Sang Kancil has also provided maternal and health services to the squatter communities. Once a week, nurse practitioners set up a clinic providing the following services: immunization, prenatal and postnatal care, health education, nutrition, family planning, and treatment of minor illnesses. Sang Kancil's income-generation program seeks to raise the living standards of poor families by creating employment opportunities for women. Sang Kancil has established companies staffed, owned, and managed entirely by women. Among other things, these companies manufacture toys, batik items, and ceramics. The success of the companies has pushed shareholders above the poverty line.