I HAVE a broken record of writing on these pages about the importance of primary healthcare. Strengthening PHC is the only way to address our abysmal and many deteriorating vital health indicators related to family planning, maternal and child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and mental health. Readers are invited to read my article ‘Dubious distinctions’ published on these pages on Jan 13, 2023, to understand the tragic depth of the public health crises we are in. By not addressing these issues effectively we are endangering our future. Hence it is as much a national security issue as any traditional national security consideration.
Generally, people have a different and confused understanding of PHC and/or primary care. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), PHC is an approach that combines three components. The first and central component consists of primary care, that is, first-contact accessibility, without any discrimination, to high-quality preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services and performance of essential public health functions, which are delivered in an integrated, comprehensive and continued manner. The second consists of the full participation of people in their healthcare. The third is multi-sectoral action to address the determinants of health that fall outside the health sector.
PHC is the lynchpin of Universal Health Coverage, as according to the WHO, the majority of essential interventions (90 per cent) for UHC can be delivered using the PHC approach. Our poor health indicators are a result of the lack of serious policy attention to PHC. Our state spending on health is among the lowest........