Primary Health Care
Aim
Describe the strategies of PHC adopted in
developing countries.
Comment on the effectiveness of these
strategies.
Primary Health Care
• Primary Health Care is providing the very
basic type of health care for the population
of the country.
• Many ELDC governments can not afford
elaborate health care systems so in order
to improve general health care they
provide PHC.
Example of PHC
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Advice on diet.
Advice on food preparation.
Dispensing of commonly required drugs.
Treatment of minor aliments.
Family planning.
Child care.
Basic sanitation education e.g. washing
hands and boiling water.
Barefoot Doctors
• Earliest attempts to provide PHC.
• China 1960’s.
• Local people are trained as medical
auxiliaries called BAREFOOT DOCTORS.
• Part time HEALTH WORKERS.
• Basic training in straightforward illness,
vaccinations and health education.
Effectiveness of BFD’s
Success
Failure
Originally very
successful.
Locals trust the Barefoot
Doctors.
Barefoot Doctors can
speak the language.
Still large numbers of
communities who don’t have
access to doctors.
Can be expensive to train
people.
Once trained many migrate
away from the community
looking for better work.
Lack basic medical supplies
and may use non medical
treatment
Low cost, low tech solutions.
• ORT – Oral Rehydration Therapy. A
solution of water, salt and sugar to deal
with the dehydration resulting from acute
diarrhoea. Cheap and very effective.
• Large scale immunization programmes.
• Education