Dear Zaza,
Summer is a time to recharge our batteries, physically and intellectually. While sunny days and warmer temperatures provide opportunities for rest and relaxation, don’t forget that summer also offers many opportunities for learning, both from peers and from other experts.
In July, EMRO organized a regional consultative workshop on the theme of PHC for UHC. The workshop, which was held in Cairo, brought together 146 participants from 20 of 22 countries in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region. It focused on assessment of current PHC systems as a first step in translating the commitments of Astana into action. Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan presented the new PHCMI (Primary Health Care Measurement and Improvement) initiative which they have been piloting. The other EMRO countries will now begin their PHCMI projects, and focal points for each country will meet in Cairo in September for in-depth training. |
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Colleagues in SEARO also had an opportunity to learn from each other at a regional consultation which was held in New Delhi from 23 to 25 July. With an overarching theme of reaching UHC by 2030, participants discussed how to strengthen frontline services. This included examining changing models of care, improving quality and safety, and the importance of monitoring performance.
Educating ourselves about how the broader determinants of health impact PHC is also important. Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and the Environment for WHO, spoke about climate change and its impact on PHC in this month’s PHC Webinar. The article below summarizes the wide-ranging conversation. You can also find the recording and a transcript of the session here .The next in the PHC Webinar Series will take place on Thursday, August 22nd at 1400 CET. We will be speaking with Dr Shams Syed (WHO) and guest speaker Dr Kamaliah Noh, technical expert on operational policy development, about the role of quality. Technical Series on Quality in PHC. Register here
Bringing about demonstrable change in a health system is not easy. It starts with knowledge, and knowledge begins with research. Now PHC professionals have the opportunity to share their knowledge and their research. WHO has issued a call for papers on the topic of Advancing the science and practice of primary health as a foundation for universal health coverage, which will appear in a special issue of the WHO Bulletin in 2020. The deadline for submission is 30 November, and further details can be found here
Learning from experience is also important. Based on lessons learned since Alma-Ata, the PHC Operational Framework proposes a set of levers that countries can use to make progress on moving to a PHC model of care. The framework is currently undergoing consultation with Member States. Once all comments have been received, a final draft will be submitted to WHO’s Executive Board in 2020.
For up-to-the-minute news on PHC, follow us on Twitter at @BarkleyMD, @RouleauK and @etkelley419
Please feel free to send us requests, suggestions, and feedback to primaryhealthcare@who.int |
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Twenty-five percent of the global burden of disease is linked to an environmental risk factor. According to Dr Maria Neira, Director of Public Health and the Environment at WHO, that is 12.6 million preventable deaths directly attributable to climate change. Dr Neira spoke of the links between climate change and primary health care in the PHC Webinar Series on 25 July 2019.
Read more |
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Egypt
Port Said, on Egypt's northern coast, was once the site of one of Egypt's most ambitious construction projects of the 19th century. Now it is the place for construction of a different kind: the creation of universal health coverage by 2030.
© Center for Communication Programs, Photoshare
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Health in all policies
Much of the worldwide disease burden stems not only from individual but also societal behaviours. Addressing it requires taking into account other factors beyond health. Read more about the health in all policies approach.
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