Primary Health Care (PHC) is the foundation of health systems around the world and considered to be the key pathway towards the internationally agreed goal of Universal Health Coverage to make sure that all people have access to quality health services. PHC will be absolutely essential to address the challenges of the future making health systems more resilient to climate change and future pandemics. However, all too often PHC is underfinanced and does not receive the political support it deserves. One reason for this is the lack of clearly defined, costed and evidence based PHC interventions. Over the last few years, the Center for Global Health Diplomacy of the Joep Lange Institute has organized a series of consultations with academic institutions, civil society organizations and governments. Subsequently, a consortium of the Joep Lange Institute, SEEK Development and Duke University, supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, began to explore the feasibility of developing an Investment Case for PHC to present a convincing case for additional catalytic investments in PHC. The research revealed three key areas for additional investments:
- A new model of people-centered care including digital diagnostics and clinical decision-support tools.
- Next generation community health worker programs
- Individuals and communities empowered to engage in health decision-making
Lancet article: Rethinking how development assistance for health can catalyse progress on primary health care
These investments would be supported by two cross-cutting elements:
- Digital health tools to track patients, human and financial resources, and supplies in real time
- Educational, training, and supervisory systems to improve the quality of care.
In short, digitally enabled PHC can transform the way health care is delivered particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and there is strong evidence that these investments would be cost-effective and affordable. The results of these consultations and the comprehensive research have now been published in The Lancet and presented at an international PHC Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia co-hosted by JLI together with our Indonesian partner CISDI, the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives, and Health Access International, India.
“We are very honored to be invited and a co-host of the Forum“, Monika Herder, JLI Center for Health Diplomacy
In short, digitally enabled PHC can transform the way health care is delivered particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries and there is strong evidence that these investments would be cost-effective and affordable. The results of these consultations and the comprehensive research have now been published in The Lancet and presented at an international PHC Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia co-hosted by JLI together with our Indonesian partner CISDI, the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives, and Health Access International, India.