1.3.1 Principles of Primary Health Care
The Primary Health Care policy has five principles that have been designed to work together and be implemented simultaneously to bring about a better health outcome for the entire population (Box 1.1). The first principle is accessibility which means universally available healthcare delivery regardless of geographic location. The second principle is public participation which encourages the community to participate in making decisions about their own health, identifying their own health needs and finding solutions to their health problems. The third principle of health promotion involves health education on subjects such as maternal and child health, immunization, nutrition, sanitation and control of endemic disease.
The fourth principle, appropriate technology, emphasises those technologies that are scientifically sound, cost-effective and feasible to be introduced into the community. The fifth principle, inter-sectoral collaboration, emphasises integrated work with other sectors, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministries of Education, Housing and Water Resources.
Box 1.1 Principles of Primary Health Care (PHC)
- Accessibility (equal distribution): this is the first and most important key to PHC. Healthcare services must be equally shared by all the people of the community irrespective of their race, creed or economic status. This concept helps to shift the accessibility of healthcare from the cities to the rural areas where the most needy and vulnerable groups of the population live.
- Community participation: this includes meaningful involvement of the community in planning, implementing and maintaining their health services. Through the involvement of the community, maximum utilisation of local resources, such as manpower, money and materials, can be utilised to fulfill the goals of PHC.
- Health promotion: involves all the important issues of health education, nutrition, sanitation, maternal and child health, and prevention and control of endemic diseases. Through health promotion individuals and families build an understanding of the determinants of health and develop skills to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing.
- Appropriate technology: technology that is scientifically sound, adaptable to local needs, and acceptable to those who apply it and for whom it is used.
- Inter-sectoral collaboration: to be able to improve the health of local people the PHC programme needs not only the health sector, but also the involvement of other sectors, like agriculture, education and housing.
Which of the five principles of PHC in Box 1.1 is the most important?
None of them is more important than any of the others. They all work together to make a comprehensive and effective policy.
1.3 Concepts of Primary Health Care