Health is a human right \u2013 yet not everyone can access the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. Primary health care (PHC) provides a whole-of-society approach to achieving universal health coverage, putting people and communities at the centre of health systems. <\/p>\n
Despite nearly 50 years of global commitment to PHC, implementation remains fragmented. We need to be clear on what PHC means and how to put it into practice. As WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has reflected<\/a>, despite its importance, \u201cPrimary health care is one of the most misunderstood concepts in public health.\u201d<\/p>\n To help address this gap, WHO launched a new free online course, \u2018The Primary Health Care Approach: A Short Course<\/a>\u2019, available on the WHO Academy online learning platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe strong consensus among WHO Member States to strengthen PHC-oriented health systems is an important opportunity to accelerate progress,\u201d said Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director, Department of Performance, Financing and Delivery. \u201cA shared understanding of what PHC means and how it works can help us realize its full potential and turn this commitment into real improvements in people\u2019s health and in how health systems perform.\u201d<\/p>\n The short self-paced course is organized around five core modules with a total learning time of 1.5 hours. Learners explore topics including why PHC matters, the three core components of PHC, the operational and strategic levers for strengthening PHC and how to navigate PHC-oriented transformations through political-economy analysis and leading with compassion. <\/p>\n