Review Article

Primary health care: A necessity in developing countries?

Evaezi Okpokoro
Journal of Public Health in Africa | Vol 4, No 2 | a1058 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2013.e17 | © 2024 Evaezi Okpokoro | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 26 November 2024 | Published: 03 December 2013

About the author(s)

Evaezi Okpokoro, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Abuja, Nigeria

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Abstract

Resource limited countries continue to be plagued with rising prevalence of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS as well as other emerging diseases despite the huge financial support provided by bilateral and multilateral agencies to combat these diseases. While progress may have been made in reducing the global burden caused by these diseases on one hand, there has also been a weakening of the primary health care facility on the other hand which was the hallmark to the Alma Ata declaration of 1978. More attention has been placed on our global health needs while the diverse health needs of every community have been neglected. This fatal neglect at the community level highlights the need for the provision of specialize primary health care (PHC) facilities which should not only be affordable, accessible and available, but be appropriate to the priority health needs of the community, especially at the rural level. Hence specialized PHC facilities will be tailored to meet the most pressing health needs of the communities it covers among other diseases. Consequently, this innovative approach will not only strengthen the primary health care system by improving wellbeing especially at the rural level but will also improve the outcome of vertical program at communities where it is most needed.

Keywords

primary health care; universal health; resource limited countries; developing countries

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Crossref Citations

1.

Strengthening Primary Health-Care Services to Help Prevent and Control Long-Term (Chronic) Non-Communicable Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries


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