For environmental health professionals

1. SELECTIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE PHC
• These are the two types of PHC
• most important debates have been going on about the
best PHC; selective or comprehensive approach
• these approaches lead to crucial policy decisions
• The policy decisions made on this matter affects the
quality of life of many people

2. SELECTIVE APPROACH
• involves selection of the health problem
• Selection of the target
• The target can be the priority target or the most
affected
• The problem may also be the priority
problem or need
• selective primary health care is said to
be a medical model

3. • Policies in the selective approach are implemented by
health professionals
• It does not emphasises on participatory
approaches.
• Selective PHC has been called weak PHC
• top down in approach, people or community
members may participate at a low level

4. ADVANTAGES
• Advocates of selective PHC say that it the
cheaper
• Less demanding because it looks at
specific.
• Health workers select the target for
intervention
• Health intervention is only aimed at those
conditions of ill health which are most
which are of priority

5. • It is easy to manage and monitor as you
focus only on a few health problems
which can be directly assessed and
evaluated.
• It is cheap as resources can be used
only on those pressing health needs
With the limited number of health
workers, it easy run programmes

6. COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
• Comprehensive PHC is seen as a strong PHC.
• It involves all determinants of health
• The approach which was presented by the Alma
Ata is the strong PHC
• Comprehensive primary Health Care is the real
PHC.
• the approach is concerned with health for all

7. • health as part of development which can not be
isolated
• Comprehensive PHC collaborates with other
sectors
• stresses people’s participation in the search for
solutions as essential components of PHC
• Comprehensive PHC insists on the involvement
of other sectors

8. • It is the duty of the health worker to collaborate
with other sectors
• Comprehensive PHC can be operationalized
along the social and economic development
• Comprehensive PHC gives considerable
importance to people’s involvement in health
• It embraces community participation as the key
principle of PHC.

9. • It is concerned with issues to do with social
justice, equality and equity.