Global PHC Measurement and Subnational Efforts: Webinar for USAID Mission Teams

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines PHC as a whole-of-society approach to health that aims at ensuring the highest possible level of health and well-being and their equitable distribution by focusing on people's needs and as early as possible along the continuum from health promotion and disease prevention to treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. The journey toward high-quality PHC has been long and ongoing. PHC underpins the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Universal Health Coverage. Key milestones in the development of PHC include the Declaration of Alma Ata in 1978, the Declaration of Astana in 2018, and the WHO PHC Operational Framework in 2020. The SDG 3.8, Universal Health Coverage, was adopted in 2015. High-quality PHC can accomplish significant health outcomes. It can save 60 million lives and increase average life expectancy by 3.7 years by 2030. PHC can meet up to 90% of a person's health care needs across the lifespan, making it a comprehensive approach to health care. Additionally, higher PHC coverage can mitigate disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates, demonstrating its equitable nature. However, the current state of PHC is poor, with a need to ensure quality continuous, comprehensive, coordinated people-centered care across the lifespan to meet health needs. Stronger PHC is associated with more resilient health care, and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of PHC in maintaining essential care, particularly in places with weak PHC. Global PHC measurement efforts have been developed through global collaborations and country engagement. Tools for country-led, national-level measurement have been created, and existing data has been made actionable by supporting interpretation. The WHO/UNICEF expanded existing frameworks to include specific indicators, creating the Primary Health Care Measurement Framework and Indicators (PHCMFI). This framework aims to provide a comprehensive approach to PHC measurement, addressing the knowledge gaps in the current state of PHC measurement.