Primary health care - it’s back to the future for health for all
The Declaration of Alma-Ata formed the foundation for the last 40 years of global primary health care efforts. Since the adoption of the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978, strong primary care systems, based in local communities, are recognised to be essential to achieving Universal Health Coverage. The core values and principles of the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration still stand. This October, the world will reunite to reinvigorate and reaffirm primary health care in Astana, Kazakhstan, at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care “From Alma-Ata towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals”.
The Global Conference in Astana will endorse a new declaration which emphasizes the critical role of primary health care around the world, refocusing efforts to ensure that everyone everywhere is able to enjoy the highest possible attainable standard of health.
In the final panel of the MMS Symposium we discussed the opportunity to address and debate the political dimensions of the Alma-Ata-Declaration and the lessons learnt to achieve health for all by 2030. The panel started with the question about what are major obstacles and push factors to achieve health for all. Leave no one behind and the call for more global solidarity were mentioned several times during the day and were extensively discussed.
