PHM-Exch> Revitalising primary health care requires an equitable global economic system

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at paho.org>
crossposted from: EQUIDAD at listserv.paho.org

 *Revitalising primary health care requires an equitable global economic
system  - now more than ever *

David Sanders1, Fran E Baum2, Alexis Benos3, David Legge4


1 School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, South Africa;

2 Flinders University of South Australia, Australia;

3 Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece;

4 La Trobe University, Australia

*J Epidemiol Community Health doi:10.1136/jech.2009.095125 – December 2009*

Website: http://bit.ly/bgnVY6

 “……The promised revitalisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) is happening at
a time when the contradictions and unfairness of the global economic system
have become clear, suggesting that the current system is unsustainable. In
the past two decades one of the most significant impediments to the
implementation of comprehensive PHC have been neoliberal economic policies
and their imposition globally.

 This article interrogates what will be required for Primary Heath Care to
flourish. PHC incorporates five key principles:
*equitable provision of services, comprehensive care, intersectoral action,
community involvement, and appropriate technology. *

* *This article considers intersectoral action and comprehensiveness and
their potential to be implemented in the current global environment. It
highlights the constraints to intersectoral action through a case study of
nutrition in the context of globalisation of the food chain. It also
explores the challenges to implementing a comprehensive approach to health
that are posed by neo-liberal health sector reforms and donor practices.

 The paper concludes that even well-designed health systems based on PHC
have little influence over the broader economic forces that shape their
operation and their ability to improve health. Reforming these economic
forces will require greater regulation of the national and global economic
environment to emphasise people’s health rather than private profit, and
action to address climate change. We argue that revitalisation of PHC and
progress towards health equity are unlikely without strong regulation of the
market. The further development and strengthening of social movements for
health will be key to successful advocacy action…..”
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