Primary Health Care

Primary Health Care (WHO)

Essential health care made universally available to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford.

PHC forms an integral part both of the country's health system of which it is the nucleus and of the overall social and economic development of the community.

Features:

Community participation vs overdependence on medical doctors

Appropriate technology vs high-cost and sophisticated technology

Intersectoral linkages vs reliance on the government sector or the medical doctor

Partnership approach

1. Active community participation and involvement

2. Intersectoral collaboration

3. Development and use of appropriate technology to meet the local health needs

4. development of support mechanism to sustain PHC implementation

Essential health care

1. Information and education on health

2. Proper nutrition

3. Water and sanitation

4. Maternal and child health

5.Immunization

6. Prevention and control of endemic diseases

7. Treatment of common diseases

8. Provision of essential drugs

Primary healthcare (PHC) refers to "essential health care" that is based on scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology, which make universal health care accessible to all individuals and families in a community.

The ultimate goal of primary health care is better health for all. WHO has identified five key elements to achieving that goal:

• • reducing exclusion and social disparities in health (universal coverage reforms);

  • organizing health services around people's needs and expectations (service delivery reforms);

  • integrating health into all sectors (public policy reforms);

  • pursuing collaborative models of policy dialogue (leadership reforms); and

  • increasing stakeholder participation.

Essential Elements of Primary Health Care (PHC):

There are 8 elements of primary-health care (PHC). That listed below-

• 1. E– Education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods of identifying, preventing and controlling them.

  2. L– Locally endemic disease prevention and control.

1. E– Expanded programme of immunization against major infectious diseases.

   1. M– Maternal and child health care including family planning.

   2. E– Essential drugs arrangement.

   3. N– Nutritional food supplement, an adequate supply of safe and basic nutrition.

   4. T– Treatment of communicable and non-communicable disease and promotion of mental health.

   5. S– Safe water and sanitation.

ROJ@16oct3