WORKING TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Countries in the Western Pacific region
should work together in developing systems to strengthen primary health care,
said Fiji Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma.

He said they should know the health facilities that were needed to ensure
their communities were being cared for and being productive in their lifetime.

"We have the means to strengthen public village health such as workers
scheme community health, rehabilitation scheme, and equipping villages with
basic equipment.

"This will enable them to undertake radiology and scans and be able to
provide decent lab services," he told reporters on the sidelines of the 61st
session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee Meeting for
the Western Pacific, here, Tuesday.

On the primary health-care situation in the region, he said each country had
its own problems.

Philippine Undersecretary of Health Dr Mario C.Villaverde said the private
sector and non-governmental bodies should also participate in strengthening
primary health care.

"This is particularly important if we are to reduce the inequities in
health," he added.

WHO has reported that the health systems in the Western Pacific region are
under stress.

Among the challenges are managing cost inflation, achieving or maintaining
universal service coverage, dealing with new and re-emerging communicable
diseases, coping with demographic changes, and developing people-centred health
systems that restore and maintain public confidence.

WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Dr Shin Young-Soo said in a
statement here that the committee today endorsed a Western Pacific Regional
Strategy for Health Systems based on the values of primary health care.

He said the new plan employed a system that comprised leadership, adequate
human resources, information, medical products and technology, financing and
service delivery.

Dr Shin added that the new regional strategy came at a time of increasing
strain on health systems from factors such as new and re-emerging diseases, the
growing threat from non-communicable diseases, ageing populations and the
commercialisation of health services in some countries.

"Health-care systems based on primary health-care values tend to be more
pro-poor, equitable and accessible and are associated with higher patient
satisfaction.

"The people of the Western Pacific region deserve to live out their lives in
the higher state of health possible. This is expressed in the vision of this
strategy which is universal coverage for better outcomes," he said.

-- BERNAMA