Primary health care

Primary health care, often abbreviated as PHC(Primary Health Centre) and PC, is

"'essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and the country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-determination' (Alma Ata international conference definition)"

It was a new approach to health care that came into existence following this international conference in Alma Ata in 1978 organized by the World Health Organisation and the UNICEF.

Primary health care was accepted by the member countries of WHO as the key to achieving the goal of Health for all.

Essential components of primary health care
The Declaration of Alma Ata outlined the 8 essential components of primary health care such as principles of,

Equitable distribution
Health services must be shared equally by all people irrespective of their ability to pay and all (rich or poor, urban or rural) must have access to health services. Primary health care aims to address the current imbalance in health care by shifting the centre of gravity from cities where a majority of the health budget is spent to rural areas where a majority of people live in most countries.

Community participation
There must be a continuing effort to secure meaningful involvement of the community in the planning, implementation and maintenance of health services, beside maximum reliance on local resources such as manpower, money and materials.

Intersectoral coordination
Primary health care involves in addition to the health sector, all related sectors and aspects of national and community development, in particular agriculture, animal husbandry, food, industry, education, housing, public works, communication and other sectors.

Appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is technology that is scientifically sound, adaptable to local needs, acceptable to those who apply it and for those for whom it is used and can be maintained by the people themselves in keeping with the principle of self reliance with the resources the community and country can afford.