PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

2. PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

3. INTRODUCTION
With increasing recognition of the failure of existing
health services to provide health care, alternative ideas
and methods to provide health care have been
considered and tried. The concept of Primary Health
Care came into limelight in 1978 following an
International conference in Alma-Ata, USSR.

4. DEFINITION
“Primary health care is
essential health care made
universally accessible to
individuals & acceptable to
them, through their full
participation & at a cost the
community & country can
afford”.

5. PURPOSES
Increase In Life Expectation.
Improvement In Nutritional Status.
Provision Of Basic Sanitation.
Development Of Manpower And Other Resources.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PHC
It is essential health care which is based on practical,
scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods
and technology.
It should be rendered universally, acceptable to
individuals and the families in the community
through their full participation.

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF PHC
• Its availability should be at a cost which the community
and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their
development in a spirit of self reliance and self-
development.
• It requires joint efforts of the health sector and other
health-related factors, via., education, food and
agriculture, social welfare, animal husbandry, housing,
rural reconstruction, etc.

8. NATURE OF PHC

9. ELEMENTS

10. ELEMENTS
E – Education for Health
L – Locally endemic disease control
E – Expanded program for immunization
M – Maternal and Child Health including responsible
parenthood
E – Essential drugs
N – Nutrition
T – Treatment of communicable and non-communicable
diseases
S - Safe water and sanitation

11. PRINCIPLES OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
1. Equitable Distribution.
2. Man power Development
3. Community Participation.
4. Intersectoral Coordination.
5. Appropriate Technology.

12. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION

13. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION
Health services must be shared equally by all
people irrespective of their ability to pay, and all
must have access to health services.
At present health services are mainly
concentrated in the major towns and cities
resulting in inequality of care to the people in
rural areas.

14. MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT

15. MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
Primary health care is evolving which builds on traditional
and indigenous patterns of health care, draws in village
volunteers and available community resources for health
development, and emphasizes the government role in helping
rural people to help themselves.

16. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

17. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Involvement of the individuals & community in
promotion of their own health & welfare, is an essential
ingredient of primary health care.
There must be a continuing effort to secure meaningful
involvement of the community in planning,
implementing & maintenance of health services, besides
maximum reliance on local resources such as manpower,
money & materials.

18. INTERSECTORAL
CO - ORDINATION

19. INTERSECTORAL
CO - ORDINATION
There is an increasing realization of the fact that the
components of primary health care cannot be provided by the
health sector alone.
The declaration of Alma-Ata states, 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”

20. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY

21. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
Appropriate technology has been defined as “technology
that is scientifically sound, adaptable to local needs, &
acceptable to those who apply it & for those whom it is used
& that can be maintained by the people themselves in keeping
with the principles of self reliance with the resources the
community & country can afford”.

22. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
The term appropriate is emphasized because in some
countries, large luxurious hospitals that are totally in
appropriate to the local needs are built, which absorb a
major part of the national health budget, effectively
blocking any improvement in general health services.

23. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
This also applies to use of costly equipment, procedures
and techniques when cheaper, scientifically valid and
acceptable ones are available, Eg., oral rehydration fluid.

24. ROLE OF NURSES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Assessing the health status
of individuals and
communities.
 Health education
Food supply and proper
nutrition
Water supply and basic
sanitation.
 Maternal and child health
care including family

25. ROLE OF NURSES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Immunization
Treatments of minor
ailments
Mobilizing community
involvement.
Providing integrated
health care including
the treatment of
emergencies and making
referrals.