Abstract
Primary Health Care (PHC) is a whole of society approach to health and well-being that is focused on the needs and circumstances of individuals, their families, and communities. PHC principles guide health professionals in facilitating equitable conditions that redress social disadvantage and support good health in a socially just way. Health professionals provide PHC using an enabling role, where they work in partnership with people and communities to develop individual and community capacity. Strong PHC systems improve the health outcomes of the whole community and represent efficient use of limited health resources. This chapter defines PHC, highlights the importance of PHC to society and discusses the strategic and operational levers that are required to ensure effective PHC systems. Understanding these contextual factors is vital in terms of promoting health for all and attaining the sustainable development goals related to health.
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Halcomb, E., Ashley, C. (2023). Primary Health Care. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Handbook of Social Sciences and Global Public Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96778-9_13-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96778-9_13-1
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