Primary Healthcare Initiative

Primary healthcare is considered the initial point of contact for healthcare services for most people. The service is mostly provided by general practioners and the purpose of this is to help attain better health care delivery for all regardless of ones background. This model of health care delivery was adapted in 1978 in Alma Ata during an internatiponal conference. Since then the idea has been integrated in that of the world health organization mandate of promoting health for all. Principles of primary health care policy have had a very positive effect in several countries especially that of underdeveloped and developing countries despite its criticisms and controversies surrounding its implementations.

One major effect of the primary health care initiative is the great improvement in health care delivery capacity in regions with scarce resource. This has mostly been achieve not only in the service provided to the people but also to the education they have been exposed to through forums and workshops provided for them. This has further aided communities to establish a sustainable health care system operational in various communities with little or no external support.

Another agent worth noting is the increased knowledge on reproductive health. People have been exposed to the essence of family planning and its forms. The superstitious belief that used to exist among them against family planning has greatly been changed with this form of initiative. Also screening and education on sexually transmitted infections and the effect of teenage pregnancies in communities has provided most people the needed information concerning the effects of their several activities and the need to get tested and protected at all times.

Additionally, reduction in mortality rate has seen improvements with the exposure of pregnant women and nursing mothers at the pre and postnatal care, the pregnant women and nursing mothers have taken up roles to ensure they protect their children either born or unborn in the case of pregnant women. the health of infants have been a major concern with the implementation of this initiative and hence has gone into providing communities with the needed services to ensure reduction in infant mortality especially in the field of immunizing infants against the six child killer disease.

Again, the primary health care initiative has been a source of provision to most health facilities to upgrade themselves in all aspect especially in the use of technology. Most health facilities across the globe have witnessed a high level of efficiency in results as well as health care delivery upon accepting and operating with equipment in the field to ease workload on the staff

Finally, the primary health care has created job opportunities for many people. The number of health workers that were posted as increased hence it has created job opportunity for people.

To conclude primary health is initiative is one that needs to be globally provided across the globe even though it has its criticisms because at the end the positive side outweighs the negative sides.

BENEDICTA OWUSU-NYARKO
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT (LEVEL 200)
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST