The world has committed to making health for all a reality. Primary health care is one of the best tools we have for achieving that goal. Through the Declaration of Astana, countries have reaffirmed the importance of PHC. We risk, however, that global consensus becoming nothing more than a pipe dream unless countries can turn the four commitments into action on the ground.
In recent decades, PHC has been neglected in many countries in favor of a disease-specific approach. This is often due to a combination of lack of political will, under investment, and common misperceptions of the role and benefits of PHC. Political will has advanced greatly with the adoption of the Declaration of Astana.
There are a number of economic arguments in favor of increasing investment in PHC. It has been proven that health systems with a PHC-based foundation result in improved clinical outcomes, increased efficiency, better quality of care and enhanced patient satisfaction.
All stakeholders – from government leaders to physicians to members of the public – need to be made aware of the role and benefits of PHC. Some common misperceptions include the notion that PHC only provides “basic” care, when, in fact, PHC provides essential care that can cover the majority of a person’s health needs throughout their lives. Another misperception is that PHC is about maternal and child health – PHC is about health at all ages. PHC involves prevention, health promotion, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation.
Another misperception is that PHC is “cheap” health care for the poor. Because PHC is based in the community, it is frequently the only health care available to poor or marginalized communities, who may not have access to a hospital. Because PHC focuses on the person rather than the disease, it is an approach that moves away from overspecialization. In PHC, the goal is to work through multidisciplinary teams with strong referral systems to secondary and tertiary care when needed.
But PHC also goes beyond providing health care services to individuals. It is a whole-of-society approach that seeks to address the broader determinants of health, such as community-level disease-prevention efforts, and to empower individuals, families and communities to get involved in their own health.
In 2018, world leaders committed to advancing PHC. However, moving from political commitment to reality will require efforts on the part of all stakeholders – governments, health care providers, civil society, and the public.
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"Primary health care” is an overall approach which encompasses the three aspects of: multisectoral policy and action to address the broader determinants of health; empowering individuals, families and communities; and meeting people’s essential health needs throughout their lives. “Primary care” is a subset of PHC and refers to essential, first-contact care provided in a community setting.
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"Primary health care” is an overall approach which encompasses the three aspects of: multisectoral policy and action to address the broader determinants of health; empowering individuals, families and communities; and meeting people’s essential health needs throughout their lives. “Primary care” is a subset of PHC and refers to essential, first-contact care provided in a community setting.
Entire content available on: https://www.who.int/activities/what-is-PHC
