Carl Taylor Reflection :
Insights into primary health care :
There is at least one common characteristic between different countries in the field of health is access to care. Needs of health are insufficiently covered by the provision of health services. Several policies have been implemented in this direction. Today, work focuses on the primary health care concept following the Alma Ata Declaration.
The philosophy behind PHC (primary health care) is based upon:
• holistic understanding and recognition of the multiple determinants of health
• equity in health care
• community participation and control over health services
• focus on health promotion and disease prevention
• accessible, affordable, acceptable technology
• health services based upon research methods.
These philosophical ideals have been variously interpreted into strategies and services which further the ideals. Primary health care strategies include needs based planning and decentralised management, education, intersectoral cooperation, multi-disciplinary heath workers and a balance between health promotion, disease prevention and treatment. Services to provide primary health care should be locally based, affordable and acceptable, well integrated and offer a multi-disciplinary range of care from health promotion to rehabilitation.
This original ideal of primary health care has become known as comprehensive PHC. This is in contrast to selective primary health care which is more medically focused with a reliance upon medical interventions and doctors for provision of and control over health services.
In particular, achieving intersectoral collaboration and local planning and management of primary health care services requires an explicit commitment to equity in health care and strategic planning across all levels of government as well as across traditional departmental barriers.