Moving towards PHC

Primary health care is important because it is the foundation of a strong health system. It leads to more equitable health across the community and leads to greater patient and health worker satisfaction.

Taking a PHC approach is about meeting the majority of people’s health needs through services provided directly in the community where they live. A PHC approach means working with multidisciplinary teams – doctors, nurses, caregivers, therapists, and others – to treat the person rather than the disease.

By providing health care services throughout a person’s life, PHC allows people to develop long-term partnerships with their care providers. And it means that health care providers can address not only treatment needs, but also prevention, health promotion, rehabilitation and palliation services.