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More than three decades after
the Alma-Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care, there is growing realization
that the concepts and approaches elaborated in 1978 continue to remain valid.
The continuing and sometimes widening gap between the health status of people
within and among countries is a matter of concern. With only a short time
remaining for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) deadline of 2015, the
need for ensuring universal coverage with cost-effective public health
interventions is of paramount importance. Primary health care (PHC) aims to
provide quality and comprehensive health care in a cost-effective and
equitable manner, and is the foundation for health systems strengthening.
Mission
statement
To assist Member States in their
efforts to revitalize primary health care as a basis for health systems
strengthening. The aim is evolution of health systems that ensure equitable
access to health care and in which the community and related social and other
sectors become effective partners and participants in improving health status
of individuals, families and communities.
Revitalization of Primary
Health care in South-East Asia
The Region has a rich
experience in PHC initiatives. Indeed, pioneering work based on PHC
principles was initiated in several countries of the South-East Asia Region
much before the Alma-Ata Declaration. The commitment of Member States of the
WHO South-East Asia Region to revitalize PHC was reaffirmed during the
Regional Conference on Revitalizing Primary Health Care organized by WHO
Regional Office for South-East Asia in 2008.
A number of regional
consultations and meetings were organized to deliberate upon different
aspects of PHC. Notable amongst these are Consultations on Self-Care in the
Context of PHC; Application of Socio-Cultural Approaches to Accelerate
Achievement of MDGs 4 and 5; Meetings on Health Care Reforms for the 21st
Century; Use of Herbal Medicine in PHC; a Regional Seminar on
Decentralization of Health Care Services; Regional Consultation on
Innovations in Primary Health Care; Regional Meeting on Primary Health Care
Approach in Emergencies and, Regional Consultation on Health of the Urban
Poor in South-East Asia.
In addition to specific
recommendations, these meetings and consultations resulted in widespread
consensus that the overarching principles of PHC: social equity, universal
coverage, intersectoral collaboration and people’s
participation remain valid and that Health Systems Strengthening should be
based on PHC values, principles and approaches.
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