The WHO has encouraged member countries in its South-East Asia Region to expand investments in primary health care as the foundation for universal health coverage and health security, pointing out that PHC is critical for better pandemic preparedness and response.
Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, noted at a high-level meeting that nations with strong primary health care (PHC) systems were able to respond better and sooner to the COVID-19 pandemic while still sustaining vital services with minimal disruption.
According to the WHO, the Regional Director was addressing at a high-level virtual conference that included health ministers from member countries to honor (Universal Health Coverage) UHC Day and announce the South-East Regional Strategy for PHC. Ministers stressed the relevance of the PHC strategy in achieving UHC and health system resilience during the meeting.
“PHC is the key to unlocking UHC by simultaneously resolving fairness and efficiency concerns.” “We need a paradigm shift to ensure that primary health care is given throughout the life course, with an emphasis on prevention and well-being, and that it is organized around people’s and communities’ comprehensive needs and expectations,” the WHO Regional Director added.
PHC, according to the WHO, is indeed important in order to meet people’s health needs, lowering healthcare costs, increase fairness, and improve pandemic preparedness and response. While the Region’s healthcare coverage has increased to 61% from 49% a decade ago, the COVID-19 epidemic has hindered progress, underlining the need to prioritise investments in robust primary health care, according to the report.
“One of the most important takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic is that robust primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage is the best defense against disease outbreaks and other health catastrophes.” “Many of the countries that have responded most successfully to COVID-19 have sufficiently invested in PHC,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the high-level conference, according to the statement.
