The Medical Journal of Australia · 2003 · 303 citations · 9 references
Public AffairsHealth PolicyHealthcare PolicyPrimary CareRight To HealthHealth AccessHealth Care AccessHealth Services AccessHealth System ReformHealthcare AccessPrimary Health CareHealth Sector ReformHealth Services PolicyMarket ForcesMarket-based Health ReformsPrimary Health Care AccessPublic Health Care Provision
Access to basic health services was affirmed as a fundamental human right in the Declaration of Alma‑Ata in 1978. The model formally adopted for providing healthcare services was “primary health care” (PHC), which involved universal, community‑based preventive and curative services with substantial community involvement. PHC failed to meet its objectives because experts and politicians in developed countries rejected community‑led planning, and shifting economic philosophies replaced PHC with market‑driven Health Sector Reform. It is time to abandon economic ideology and determine the methods that will provide access to basic healthcare services for all people.
Access to basic health services was affirmed as a fundamental human right in the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978. The model formally adopted for providing healthcare services was "primary health care" (PHC), which involved universal, community-based preventive and curative services, with substantial community involvement. PHC did not achieve its goals for several reasons, including the refusal of experts and politicians in developed countries to accept the principle that communities should plan and implement their own heathcare services. Changes in economic philosophy led to the replacement of PHC by "Health Sector Reform", based on market forces and the economic benefits of better health. It is time to abandon economic ideology and determine the methods that will provide access to basic healthcare services for all people.
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