The role of macro health indicators in efficiency of health and hygiene management in rural sector of country's provinces

In the health map of Iran in the fifth development plan, the increasing in productivity of main factors (capital, energy, raw material and labor) has been emphasized. This research, based on performance of provinces in Hygiene and health sector, investigated the role of macro variables of health in efficiency of provinces in the rural sector. This study has been done with descriptive- analytical method, among all provinces of Iran, and between the years 2000- 2007. Statistics are derived from official documents and in this regard, three input and five output indicators, mathematical model of data envelopment analysis and Diagnostic analysis are used. The validity of study was approved by the expert. Also, two software, DEA master1 and SPSS were used in this research. This study showed that there are 9 efficient provinces, Tehran and Mazandaran are in the top (with efficiency figures of 295 and 174), and Kurdistan and Sistan are in the bottom of ranking list (with efficiency figure of 67 and 60). With using Sensitivity analysis and multiple diagnostic analyses, the most effective indicator was "Average per capita number of home health and rural health centers"(with 24 times sensitivity and effect coefficient of 0/5). Overall, it was determined that in the field of management of rural health and in the current conditions of the country, the importance of input indicators or the public health infrastructure are more than other factors. It also determined that in output indicators, performance indicators are currently more important than the health indicators. The particular innovation of this article is using "The average health and hygiene's cost of n rural household, provided by government and free of charge" indicator. Of course, about the importance and impact of this indicator, there are major differences between two methods, which are used.