Question

Part III – How do you do it?

Despite the dramatic reduction in the mortality rate in Semmelweis’ ward, his colleagues and the greater medical community greeted his findings with hostility or dismissal. Even after presenting his work on childbed fever (more technically referred to as puerperal sepsis) to the Viennese Medical Society, Semmelweis was not able to secure the teaching post he desired, and so he returned to Hungary. There he repeated his successful handwashing attack on childbed fever at the St. Rochus hospital in Pest. In 1860, Semmelweis finally published his principal work on the subject of puerperal sepsis but this, too, was dismissed. It is believed that the years of controversy and repeated rejection of his work by the medical community caused him to suffer a mental breakdown. Semmelweis died in 1865 in an Austrian mental institution. Some believe that his own death was ironically caused by puerperal sepsis.

Additional reading: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/12/375663920/the-doctor-who-championed-hand-washing-and-saved-women-s-lives

Answer each part in 2-3 sentences.

Homework Questions:

1) When presented with what appears to be unequivocal evidence in support of handwashing, why might Semmelweis’ colleagues have dismissed his ideas?

2)What are some current examples of public health programs/initiatives (including MCH (maternal child health)) that have been met with opposition? Why? Are there parallels to this historic example? (e.g., mentioned in reading on “Why We Don’t Spend Enough on Public Health” or drawing from your own knowledge)

Answer 1

1) When presented with what appears to be unequivocal evidence in support of handwashing, why might Semmelweis’ colleagues have dismissed his ideas?

ANS:

Semmelweis was presenting his work on childbed fever , that how important handwashing is in the care of delivering women to prevent peuperal fever and deaths further.

colleaguescdismissed his ideas because they were upset because Semmelweis' hypothesis made it look like they were the ones giving childbed fever to the women.

2)What are some current examples of public health programs/initiatives (including MCH (maternal child health)) that have been met with opposition? Why? Are there parallels to this historic example? (e.g., mentioned in reading on “Why We Don’t Spend Enough on Public Health” or drawing from your own knowledge)

ANS:

Evidence-based public health: a fundamental concept for public health practice.

Public health decision-makers' informational needs and preferences for receiving research evidence.

Generation of political priority for global health initiatives

New Approaches to the Organization of Health and Social Services in Schools.

Reconsidering Community-Based Health Promotion: Promise, Performance, and PotentialDiffusion theory and knowledge dissemination, utilization and integration.