In 1978, leaders from around the world gathered in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would prove to be a seminal moment in global health. The Declaration of Alma-Ata was the first to call for urgent and effective national and international action to develop and implement primary health care throughout the world.”
Forty years later, leaders and stakeholders representing government, the private sector, and civil society returned to Kazakhstan. The Global Conference on Primary Health Care, which took place in Astana in October 2018, reaffirmed primary health care as the most effective and efficient approach to achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Based on a bold vision, the 2018 Declaration of Astana centers around 4 commitments:
1. Making bold political choices for health across all sectors;
2. Building sustainable primary health care – adapted to each country’s local context;
3. Empowering individuals and communities;
4. Aligning stakeholder support to national policies.
Taking into account 40 years of lessons learned since the original Declaration of Alma-Ata, the Declaration of Astana was developed through a multi-stakeholder process that included consultations with Member States, a group of international experts, civil society and the general public
Primary health care
All people, everywhere, deserve the right care, right in their community. This is the fundamental premise of primary health care.
Primary health care (PHC) addresses the majority of a person’s health needs throughout their lifetime. This includes physical, mental and social well-being and it is people-centred rather than disease-centred. PHC is a whole-of-society approach that includes health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
A primary health care approach includes three components:
- meeting people’s health needs throughout their lives;
- addressing the broader determinants of health through multisectoral policy and action; and
- empowering individuals, families and communities to take charge of their own health.
By providing care in the community as well as care through the community, PHC addresses not only individual and family health needs, but also the broader issue of public health and the needs of defined populations.
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