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All people, everywhere, have the right to achieve the highest attainable level of health. This is the fundamental premise of primary health care (PHC).
Primary health care is a whole-of-society approach to effectively organize and strengthen national health systems to bring services for health and wellbeing closer to communities. It has 3 components:
- integrated health services to meet people’s health needs throughout their lives
- addressing the broader determinants of health through multisectoral policy and action
- empowering individuals, families and communities to take charge of their own health.
Primary health care enables health systems to support a person’s health needs – from health promotion to disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and more. This strategy also ensures that health care is delivered in a way that is centred on people’s needs and respects their preferences.
Primary health care is widely regarded as the most inclusive, equitable and cost-effective way to achieve universal health coverage. It is also key to strengthening the resilience of health systems to prepare for, respond to and recover from shocks and crises.
