Primary Health Care
Primary health care (PHC) is one of the most important concepts in public health - and also one of the most misunderstood.
A PHC approach:- Ensures that integrated primary care and public health are the interface between
- people and their health system.
- Encourages action across sectors to address the determinants of health.
- Engages communities and empowers people to co-produce health.
PHC unites the individual perspective of primary care with the population focus of essential public health.
PHC is the cornerstone of resilient health systems and is critical for emergency preparedness and response.
Progress toward the SDGs, UHC and health security all demand investment in PHC.
Reorienting health systems towards a PHC approach delivers huge benefits for health system performance. It requires a range of reforms and interventions but above all political commitment.
Integration topics
Related publications
All →Implementing the Primary Health Care Approach: a Primer
Primary health care (PHC) stands as the principal interface between the health system and communities – the locus where the formal health system...
Strengthening primary care in Europe: How to increase the attractiveness of primary care for medical...
The key messages of this policy brief published by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies are as follows:The imperative of strengthening...
How can skill-mix innovations support the implementation of integrated care for people with chronic conditions...
The increasing and changing demands of complex patients (with chronic conditions and multimorbidity), combined with growing workloads and shortages of...
View onlineHealth policy-making and reform require, first and foremost, a sound understanding of how a health system is performing. To assist countries...
This brief’s key messages are:The patient navigator role originated in the USA. It is designed to support patients in finding their way through health...
View onlineThe COVID-19 pandemic represents a health system shock of unprecedented scale. Health systems resilience – defined as the ability to absorb,...
How to enhance the integration of primary care and public health?: approaches, facilitating factors and...
This policy brief explores how primary care and public health can be brought together to improve the health of patients and populations. It describes the...
The idea of person-centred health systems is widely advocated in political and policy declarations to better address health system challenges. A person-centred...
Multimedia
Further resources
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign Up