abstract: 'Objective: In recent decades, governments around the globe have been

  under pressure to create more efficient and effective health care

  systems. Research shows, particularly in middle- and low-income

  countries, that many of these neo-liberal policies that have been

  enacted have had a largely negative effect with regard to equitable

  health services for lower-income populations and dignified working

  conditions for health providers. In this paper we highlight recent

  reforms in health care in Canada, focusing on formal care during

  pregnancy and childbirth, and compare these to parallel developments in

  two Nordic countries - Finland and Iceland.

  Method: We draw upon secondary data sources and primary research

  findings.

  Results: Our comparative analysis pays close attention to barriers in

  access to primary care services across the childbearing period for

  lower-income women in the three countries, as well as the factors that

  create poor working conditions for the predominantly female maternity

  care labour force.

  Discussion: As Canada struggles to deal with the crisis in its maternity

  care system, it could learn from developments in Finland and Iceland

  that promote teamwork among primary health care professionals and

  high-quality care for lower-income populations.'
affiliation: 'Wrede, S (Corresponding Author), Univ Helsinki, Swedish Sch Social Sci,
  POB 16, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.

  Wrede, Sirpa, Univ Helsinki, Swedish Sch Social Sci, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.

  Benoit, Cecilia, Univ Victoria, Dept Sociol, Victoria, BC, Canada.

  Einarsdottir, Thorgerdur, Univ Iceland, Dept Sociol, Reykjavik, Iceland.'
author: Wrede, Sirpa and Benoit, Cecilia and Einarsdottir, Thorgerdur
author-email: sirpa.wrede@helsinki.fi
author_list:
- family: Wrede
  given: Sirpa
- family: Benoit
  given: Cecilia
- family: Einarsdottir
  given: Thorgerdur
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/BF03403799
eissn: 1920-7476
files: []
issn: 0008-4263
journal: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE
keywords: 'Health care reform; equity; dignity; maternity care; lower-income

  populations'
keywords-plus: HEALTH; MIDWIFERY; CONTEXT
language: English
month: NOV-DEC
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '54'
orcid-numbers: 'Einarsdottir, THorgerdur J./0000-0001-8906-0760

  Wrede, Sirpa/0000-0001-7358-2097'
pages: S16-S21
papis_id: 9e2aa98deeaa523327fd89f53fc4d963
ref: Wrede2008equitydignity
times-cited: '12'
title: Equity and Dignity in Maternity Care Provision in Canada, Finland and Iceland
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000263169400003
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '11'
volume: '99'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2008'