Primary health care

How it is used

Set out as a goal for all countries in the Declaration of Alma-Ata (1978) and renewed in the Astana Declaration (2018). Shortened to PHC. 'Primary care' usually refers more narrowly to services given by family doctors and nurses.

Example sentences

1. Strong primary health care can meet most people's health needs close to home.

2. The country invested in primary health care instead of building more hospitals.

Common collocations

• primary health care services
• strengthen primary health care
• primary care
• Declaration of Alma-Ata

Related terms

• universal health coverageA situation in which everyone can use the good-quality health services they need, from prevention to treatment and care, without suffering financial hardship.
• health systemAll the organisations, people, resources and actions whose main purpose is to promote, restore or maintain health in a country, including financing, workforce, services and governance.
• community engagementWorking with communities as partners, so that local people help to identify problems and plan, deliver and evaluate the health programmes that affect them.
• access to healthcareThe ability of people to get the health services they need when they need them, which depends on cost, distance, waiting times, language and whether the services exist at all.

More terms: Global Health and Health Systems

• public health
• WHO
• noncommunicable disease
• International Health Regulations
• public health emergency of international concern
• antimicrobial resistance
• low- and middle-income countries
• Sustainable Development Goals
• CDC