Primary Health Care (PHC) Concepts

Primary Health Care (PHC)

• PHC was defined in the Alma Ata declaration in 1978.
• The approach for effective management of PHC services includes a multi-disciplinary and intersectoral approach.
• The philosophy of primary health care is derived from the global impetus of Alma-Ata declaration.
• A key philosophy of PHC aims at socializing health care.
• The concept of PHC evolved in 1978AD.
• The hallmark of Primary Health Care, crucial for its success, is community participation.
• The most important principle of primary health care as defined at Alma Ata in 1978 is community participation.
• Immunization is the foremost element of PHC.
• Elements of PHC include immunization, family planning and nutrition.
• Treatment of Non-communicable diseases, is NOT a component of PHC.
• The principle of PHC that uses available finance, human, and material resources is called self-reliance.
• Concepts of PHC were applied to achieve the goal of "Health for all".

Community Health

• An infection transmissible from vertebrate animals to man is called a zoonosis.
• Inaccurate dosage of vaccine, beliefs and taboos, and a shortage of funds are factors hindering the eradication of Poliomyelitis in Nigeria, except maintenance of the cold chain system.
• To ensure sustainability of PHC in Nigeria, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) was created.
• Activities responsible for the formation of policy nationwide, promotion of research activities and monitoring and evaluation of PHC services in Nigeria is Federal Government level.
• Methods used in carrying out community diagnosis includes questionnaire use, obtaining records from health centers and direct physical observation, excluding computer technology use.
• Community diagnosis identifies felt and identified needs of a community.

Diseases and Mortality

• The number of neonates dying before 28 days of age per 1,000 live births is the neonatal mortality rate.
• Neonatal mortality rate is the number of babies born with no signs of life at 28 weeks or more of gestation, per 1,000 total births.
• Covid-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
• The first case of COVID positive was reported in Kerala, India.
• The first case of Covid-19 was first recorded in Nigeria on 27th February 2020.
• One of the common causes of newborn deaths in Nigeria is Malaria.
• The Nigeria government adopted a national health policy to provide a formal framework for the management of country health system in 1988.
• The leading cause of death in persons 65 and older is heart disease.
• The number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births is the infant mortality rate.
• Case fatality rate is defined as the number of deaths from a disease in a specified period divided by the number of reported cases of such disease in the same period, multiplied by 1000.
• The number of deaths from a specified cause per 100,000 person-years is the cause-specific death rate.
• Number of death of children under 28 days of age per one thousand (1000) birth is neonatal mortality.
• The ratio of the number of deaths in the year to the average total population of the year is the Mortality Rate.

Vaccines and Immunization

• Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine protects against Tuberculosis Meningitis and other tuberculosi infections.
• Tetanus Toxoid vaccine protects a woman against tetanus and prevents neonatal tetanus in newborns, with a 5-course providing 10 years of protection.
• The Expanded Programme on Immunization was designed by WHO in 1974.
• Active immunity may be gained by natural infection and vaccines.
• Triple vaccine prevents against Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
• The dose of BCG for neonates is 0.05ml.
• Freeze-dried vaccines include yellow fever.
• BCG vaccine is a live, attenuated bacteria.
• The first dose of vitamin A is given at 9 months.. _ A child at birth should be given the following vaccines: BCG, OPV1, Yellow fever.
• The process of introducing a weakened pathogen into the human body is called vaccination.
• Services rendered by Basic Health Clinic include immunization.

Environmental Health

• The method used for disposal of refuse depends on the physical characteristics of the area, the quality of the waste, and the quantity of the waste.
• Disinfecting action of chlorine on water is mainly due to hypochlorous acid.
• A clean environment and community cohesion indicate a healthy community.
• The most desired temperature range for drinking water is 10 - 15 degrees C.
• Examples of sanitary methods of refuse disposal include controlled tipping, incineration, and mechanical destructor.
• Examples of water shortage infections: Diarrhea and Dysentery
• According to WHO, water is unsafe if coliform pyrogen presence exceeds 5/100ml.
• WHO approved pit latrines as a method of sewage disposal.
• Aquaprivy is an example of NON water carriage system of sewage disposal.
• Common sense precaution prevents a spread of bacteria.
• To reduce chances of further infection ensure that contaminated hands are thoroughly disinfected.

Other Important Points

• Situation analysis identifies a community's health status
• WHO declared the 2019-novel Coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020.
• John Snow is known as the 'First True Epidemiologist' in the history of medicine.
• To restore public confidence in public services the Bamako Initiative was introduced in 1988.
• Psychrometer is used to measure Humidity.
• Pentavalent vaccine is given (Intramuscular and lower part of the right thigh).
• All of the following are attributes of a Traditional Birth Attendant EXCEPT: who have limited training to acquire the skill of taking delivery of a baby and are licensed to operate a maternity home
• Community participation is defined to create ownership of development programme in the community
• The presence of multiple illnesses simultaneously in a person is called:Co-morbidity
• Most desired temperature range of drinking water: in between 10 - 15 degrees C
• For state and Federal government to achieve their roles in PHC, it is essential to Seek for political advocacy and support of the people through the community leaders