Introduction to Primary Health Care Services

Introduction to Social and Primary Health Care Services

• The presentation is on Social and Primary Health Care Services, a topic within Public Health
• The presenter is Nour Nabil Abd-Alqader from Jerash University's College of Pharmacy
• The topic covers various concepts related to Primary Health Care (PHC).

Defining Health and Public Health

• Health: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
• Public Health: The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts of society

Table of Contents

• The presentation includes sections on
  • Concept of PHC
  • Components and elements of PHC
  • Referral in PHC
  • Health care services for PHC in Jordan

Concept of PHC

• Essential health care, practical and scientifically sound, socially acceptable, accessible to individuals and families in the community.
• Cost-effective, maintaining development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination.
• A whole-of-society approach, aiming for the highest level of health and well-being, and their equitable distribution, focusing on people's needs early on, from health promotion to treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care, as close to people's everyday life as possible.

Essential Elements of PHC

• Meets actual community health needs.
• Comprehensive, including preventive, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
• Continuous, covering the population from womb to the end of life.

Public Health Pyramid

• Categorizes interventions to address health issues at different levels.
• Tertiary: Restorative, intensive interventions.
• Secondary: Interruptions of negative health behaviors (early interventions)
• Primary (Universal): Education and awareness campaigns.

Components of Primary Health Care

• Integrated Health Services: Comprehensive services throughout the life course, focusing on individuals and families.
• Multisectoral Policy and Action: Addressing social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.
• Empowered People and Communities: Empowering individuals, families, communities to advocate for health policies, and develop health/social services.

Principles of PHC

• Equity: Community participation, and universal accessibility.
• Acceptability: Interventions' appropriateness.
• Accessibility: Physical, economic, and informational.
• Appropriate Technology: Locally needed, adaptable, and maintainable.

Defining Equity in PHC

• Equity is the absence of avoidable differences among groups, defined by social, economic, demographic or geographic factors.
• Equitable PHC means universal access to services without differences for risk groups getting priority.

Ensuring Equity in PHC

• Increase the number of health centers to cover the population.
• Disperse services into remote and underserved areas.
• Improve transportation access.
• Determine who is served and identify vulnerable groups needing outreach services.

Acceptability in PHC

• Extent to which people delivering or receiving a healthcare intervention consider it appropriate, considering anticipated or experienced cognitive and emotional responses.
• Could be influenced by political, economic, and cultural factors (social).

Accessibility in PHC

• Physical Accessibility: Availability of services within reach, opening hours, and appointment systems.
• Economic Accessibility (Affordability): People's ability to pay without hardship. It includes price, transportation, and opportunity costs, influenced by the health financing system and household income.
• Informational Accessibility: Right to seek, receive, and impart information on health issues while ensuring personal health data is confidential.

Community Participation in PHC

• Essential for PHC coverage.
• Encouraging individuals, families, and community in the promotion of their own health and welfare.

Community Participation in PHC: Practicalities

• Providing financial support for PHC programs and activities.
• Adopting healthy practices prevent and manage diseases.
• Approprate utilization of and access to services (maternity, child care, reporting births/deaths).

Benefits of Community Participation in PHC

• Increased acceptance of preventive care.
• Improved health awareness in the population.
• Reduced burden on government resources.
• Support to health care workers.

Appropriate Technology in PHC

• Technology that is scientifically valid, able to adapt to local needs, and affordable.
• Examples include simple water safety measures for vulnerable age groups, ORS for dehydration, and breastfeeding support.

Multisectoral Collaboration in PHC

• Collaboration among health sectors and other relevant sectors for national and community development.
• Education, agriculture, food, industry, housing, public works, and communication sectors are involved.
• Requires country-level planning and cooperation.

Multisectoral Collaboration Examples

• Ministry of Education: health education in schools.
• Social sector: controlling social determinants causing health problems.
• Ministry of Agriculture: food production.

Team Approach to PHC

• Necessitates a variety of personnel beyond medical specialists (e.g., paramedical & non-medical personnel)
• Working together, individuals with varying levels of knowledge, experience and skills to deliver comprehensive services.

Who Provides Primary Health Care (PHC)?

• Medical personnel (doctors, dentists)
• Paramedical personnel (nurses, midwives)
• Health professionals (health visitors, technicians)
• Health-related personnel in catchment area (social workers, sanitarians).
• Community members (religious leaders, teachers).

Elements of PHC: Preventive

• Health education to prevent health problems, along with preventive and control measures
• Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition
• Comprehensive maternal and child health services.
• Immunizations and environmental sanitation.
• Prevention and control of locally endemic diseases.

Elements of PHC: Curative

• Treating common diseases and injuries.
• Providing adequate drugs.

Elements of PHC (Additional List)

• Education about prevailing health issues and prevention methods.
• Prevention of locally endemic diseases.
• Essential drug provision.
• Maternal and child health (including family planning).
• Expanded immunizations against major infectious diseases.
• Promoting food supply and proper nutrition.
• Appropriate treatment for common illnesses.
• Safe water and basic sanitation.

Health Gains from PHC Introduction

• Decreased infant and under-five mortality.
• Increased life expectancy for males and females.
• Increased vaccination coverage.
• Improved environmental conditions.

Conclusion

• The presentation provides a comprehensive overview of Primary Health Care (PHC) along with its aspects, components, and practicalities.