The History of Primary Health Care

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Introduction to the history of primary healthcare.

The history of primary healthcare.
From the small efforts of various groups to promote accessible and affordable health to all, the first significant step in the history of primary healthcare was the World Health Organization (WHO)’s “Health for all by the year 2000” initiative of 1977 which promoted UHC.
Although it was deemed impossible, atleast it led to the Alma Ata declaration in 1978 where various leaders established primary healthcare as the most practical and effective was of achieving the goal “Health for all by year 2000”.
30 years down the line, in 2008, the World Health Organisation launched the “Primary healthcare: now more than ever” report which highlighted several reforms necessary to make primary healthcare effective.
Then in 2018 was the Astana Declaration which traced the progress of primary healthcare since the Alma Ata declaration and established ways of strengthening primary healthcare to achieve universal health coverage.
At the present time, as we also create and contribute to the history of primary healthcare, in 2023 AfroPHC will be launching the “Policy Framework for primary healthcare in Africa” which outline the goals to be met by Africa to achieve effective PHC for UHC in Africa.

Health for all by the year 2000

“Health for all by the year 2000” was a global health initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1977.
The initiative had three main objectives:
1. To achieve a level of health that would permit all individuals to lead a socially and economically productive life.
2. To reduce the gap in health status between developed and developing countries.
3. To provide essential health care to all individuals and families in the community.

Unfortunately, the goal of “Health for all by the year 2000” was not achieved but it did help in raising awareness of the need for accessible and affordable health for all, and this led to the establishment of primary healthcare in the 1978’s Alma Ata declaration.

The Alma Ata Declaration of 1978

The Alma-Ata Declaration is a health policy document that was adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care held in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan in 1978.
The Declaration has had a profound impact on global health policy and practice. It has been a driving force behind the development of primary healthcare as a central component of health systems around the world.
It defined primary healthcare as “essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound, and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination.”
And it also emphasized the importance of community participation, health promotion, and disease prevention in addition to curative services. It recognized the need for a comprehensive approach to healthcare that addressed not just physical health, but also mental, social, and spiritual well-being.

WHO’S “Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever” Report of 2008

The report “Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever” was published in 2008 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The report emphasized the importance of primary health care as the foundation of any effective health system and called for a renewed global commitment to primary health care as a means of achieving better health for all.
It highlighted four key reforms necessary to strengthen primary healthcare:
1. Strengthening health systems: The report called for a comprehensive approach to strengthening health systems, including investments in health infrastructure, health workforce education and training, and health information systems.
2. Improving access to primary health care: The report emphasized the need to improve access to primary health care services, particularly for underserved populations, through strategies such as expanding health coverage and reducing financial barriers to care.
3. Enhancing the quality of primary health care: The report called for efforts to improve the quality of primary health care services through initiatives such as strengthening health workforce capacity, promoting evidence-based practice, and implementing quality assurance systems.
4. Fostering community participation and empowerment: The report highlighted the importance of engaging communities in primary health care planning and decision-making to promote health equity and social justice.
Overall, the report called for a coordinated and sustained effort to strengthen primary health care systems worldwide, with a focus on addressing the health needs of the most vulnerable populations.

The Astana Declaration of 2018

The Astana Declaration is a global commitment to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) through primary health care (PHC). The declaration was adopted at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2018, which marked the 40th anniversary of the historic Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978.
The Astana Declaration reaffirms the principles of the Alma-Ata Declaration, which recognized primary health care as the key to achieving health for all. The Astana Declaration goes further by emphasizing the need for a renewed commitment to primary health care as the foundation of health systems, and as a means of achieving universal health coverage.
The Astana Declaration calls for a series of actions to strengthen primary health care systems, including:
1. Investing in primary health care as the cornerstone of health systems
2. Strengthening health systems through increased funding and resources
3. Ensuring access to essential health services for all, including through community-based approaches
4. Empowering individuals and communities to participate in their own health and health care
5. Strengthening health workforce education and training to ensure a skilled and motivated health workforce
6. Strengthening health information systems to improve decision-making and accountability
7. Strengthening partnerships and cooperation between different sectors and actors to achieve shared health goals.

AfroPHC’s Policy Framework for PHC and UHC in Africa

This week we have been looking at the history of primary healthcare.
At the present time, as we also create and contribute to the history of primary healthcare, in 2023 AfroPHC will be launching the “Building PHC Teams for UHC in Africa” which underscores the crucial role of the PHC workforce within a team based approach. It also outlines the key actions that need to be met by Africa to achieve effective PHC for UHC in Africa.
This policy framework was funded by Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) and echoes the voices of frontline primary healthcare workers and leaders across, Africa, collated through a series of virtual policy workshops and group discussions. The final workshop was held in October 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa where a cohort of about 30 multicountry multiprofessional delegates met in person to finalise the policy framework.
In summary, the policy calls to Africa to pay heed to the call of its health professionals, to seize opportunities to overcome African challenges, to embrace the World Health Organisation’s Report of 2008 and Astana Declaration of 2018 by prioritizing integrated, resilient, person-centred and high quality PHC within UHC, re-organising UHC around PHC service delivery, integrating public health with primary care, and bringing private PHC providers into a regulated PHC system for UHC in Africa.

Video Competition

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AfroPHC has been developing a primary healthcare policy framework that is being launched on the 14th of March 2023. The framework consists of 31 main points/goals plus an opening and closing. Now, we are hosting a competition to create videos for each of the 33 points.

This competition is for healthcare students and professionals in Africa. Participation will be in groups and to participate, the group leader has to register below and download the video scripts document. This document has 33 scenes, one for each of the 33 points in the policy framework. In the scripts document, the policy framework points are in given in peach background. And this document can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tcbBgmYaFECY3v3UPXveiBGssCnKue39/view?usp=drivesdk

The participants are to shoot 5 videos for any 5 scenes directed in the scripts document. Each video should be atleast 15 seconds and atmost 30 seconds long (15-30 seconds long). The participants are to shoot the videos as directed in the scripts. They are free to make slight changes, the number of the main cast in the introduction and closing scenes can be reduced to 5. If participants feel like they can do one or more of the scenes in a better way than the one directed, they should email their suggested script(s) to innocential@innocentialdiaries.xyz for approval first before shooting. Such scripts will not be shared with other participants.

The participants are expected to collaborate with their healthcare centers for the video shooting and the equipment required. The scripts documents lists the extra requirements that might not be available in a healthcare center. Anyone can play any role given in the scripts document. However, identity clothing is required for each specified role. For example, a student nurse can act as a doctor in the play provided he dresses as a doctor in that play. The videos are to be simple and there’s no need for professional equipment or editing.

Technical requirements include:

  • Minimum resolution of the video of at least 720p.
  • The videos should have an aspect ratio of horizontal 4:3.
  • A maximum file size of 300MB, while utilizing commonly used video-codecs (e.g. H.264) and formats (.mov or .mp4).
  • Audio with a minimum bitrate of 128kbps.
  • Do not add text or watermarks or logos on the videos.
  • Only the calls should be cited in the videos. The words spoken in the videos should only be the calls recited.
  • The videos should not be significantly inclined torwards one gender.
  • Name the video files according to the scene titles given.

After shooting the 5 videos, the participants must put them in a Google drive folder and email the link to innocential@innocentialdiaries.xyz. Make sure this email has been granted access to the folder. These 5 videos should be submitted before the deadline, 12 February 2023, 2359hrs GMT+2. We will then shortlist two teams, and these two teams would have to shoot the videos for the remaining 28 scenes (to make a total of 33 videos, one video for each of the scenes given). They are to submit these videos as described above before the deadline, 28 February 2023, 2359hrs GMT+2.

The winners will be announced within a week, on this page and on our social accounts. There will be 2 winners. The 1st place will be awarded $500US. The second place will be awarded $250US. The ranking will be done by a set of judges and it will be based on creativity, quality and excellence. The winning participants will be required to grant AfroPHC the copyrights and ownership of their video content before being awarded the cash prizes.

For questions and updates, kindly join our Competition Whatsapp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FB9mee2zrWxF5D2OgjGupF. We will be happy to provide any information necessary.

Best of luck!

Register now

AfroPHC Seminars 24-25 Oct, Jhb, South Africa

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The African Forum for Primary Health Care (AfroPHC) will be convening a Final Consultation Workshop on 25th and 26th October 2022 in Johannesburg to conclude the extensive consultation process for the AfroPHC Policy Framework being developed. About 35 members of the AfroPHC Executive and Advisory Board are expected to participate, together with other key stakeholders and experts, as the first in-person meeting of AfroPHC.

In order to enhance the workshop there will be two public seminars/webinars 8-10pm South African time on 24th and 25th of October at the auditorium of Wits School of Public Health.

24th October

  • Prof. Kara Hanson: Overview of Lancet Global Health Commission Report on PHC Financing
  • Dr. Oludare Bodunrin: Overview of African Strategic Purchasing for PHC in Africa

25th October

  • Prof Shabir Moosa: Overview of National Health Insurance and PHC efforts in South Africa, including Proof of Concept in Johannesburg

These will also be broadcast on Zoom. Check your local time here. Register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fwMYXUdOR8y3c1YaAtKkqg. There will be French translation available.

Prof Kara Hanson

She has spent the last 30 years researching the economics of health systems in low- and middle-income countries.  Her major contributions are in the areas of health financing and the private health sector.  She chaired the recent Lancet Global Health Commission on Financing Primary Health Care, and have authored key publications on how strategic purchasing can help to improve health system performance.  Her work on the private sector has contributed to understanding of the opportunities and limitations of using the private sector to extend access to critical public health interventions and, more recently, to the challenges of regulating healthcare markets.  She frequently advise national governments and international organisations on health system and financing issues.  She is President-Elect of the International Health Economics Association.

 

Dr. Oludare (‘Dare) Bodunrin

Over the last decade, Oludare Bodunrin has been working on strategic initiatives to deliver quality health care to underserved populations in Nigeria. Fondly called ‘Dare, he currently serves as the Acting Director and Technical lead at the SPARC, a strategic purchasing initiative hosted by Amref Health Africa to broker support to countries as they design and implement reforms geared towards efficient and equitable use of financial resources for health. Before joining SPARC, he served as a senior program officer at the Results for Development (R4D) in Nigeria during which he led the design and implementation of Social Health Insurance Schemes, facilitated joint learning about sub-national healthcare policy makers and managed key program functions as country representative of R4D Nigeria. ‘Dare’s professional interest and experience includes, health insurance design and implementation, supply chain for healthcare commodities, primary healthcare systems strengthening, private sector engagement and Not-for-Profit Management. He strongly advocates for self-sufficiency, mutually beneficial partnership and home-grown evidence-based solutions for sustainable development in Africa

Prof Shabir Moosa

Prof Shabir Moosa is a family physician with an MBA and PhD. He works in public service clinics of Soweto and at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has extensive experience in rural general practice and the development of family medicine and primary care services in both rural and urban district health services in South Africa and Africa. Shabir is involved in development and research around family medicine, community-oriented primary health care (COPC) and health management for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Africa. He is Member at Large in the Executive Committee of WONCA (World Organisation of Family Doctors), and Executive Coordinator of AfroPHC, the African Forum for Primary Health Care (PHC), bringing African PHC team leaders together to advocate for PHC and UHC

No Tobacco: Addiction and Advocacy | CPD 18 May

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Tobacco kills up to half of its users. a plant with leaves that have high levels of the addictive chemical nicotine. After harvesting, tobacco leaves are cured, aged, and processed. In various ways. the resulting products may be smoked (in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes), applied to the gums (as dipping and chewing tobacco), or inhaled (as snuff).

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Keep the key to life in your hands, don’t give it to tobacco. Continued tobacco use corresponds to poorer addiction treatment outcomes, including a higher likelihood of relapse to substance use. The integration of tobacco-related services into addiction treatment can improve treatment outcomes, promote recovery, and reduce the well-established harms of ongoing tobacco use, including tobacco-related death and disease. Eliminate tobacco from your life before it kills you.

Webinar Title: No Tobacco: Addiction and Advocacy

Speaker: Miss Abena Otchere-Darko (BSC’ MGHIG’ CPMC’ MWAIMM’ PD. CIIA’ PD.CSM)

“I have taken inspiration from nature and feel one can achieve anything if one pursues it with diligence and perseverance and I have set my heart on attaining to do. This will equip me well in the art of assessing and cultivating human relationships, which is a necessity in any type of workplace and a discerning community as a whole, and having an opportunity to be part of this organization will be a value-added to my educational interests, involvement in a sorority and volunteer activities demonstrate attributes that make me a valuable employee in career practices. included in my list of talents leadership skills, reliability and work ethics in all roles and volunteer activities. Community involvement in volunteer programs such as community challenge and professional development programs in applied sciences and other resourced-based areas in education and early career practice, health, population surveys and census.”

OBJECTIVES:

  • Identify personal and socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviours regarding tobacco and other drug use, as well as strategies for prevention through a visual display project on a specific drug-related topic or theme.
  • Identify and access community resources that deal with drug education (prevention, use, misuse, abuse, and public education) and incorporate this information into a visual display project.
  • Build teamwork skills that encourage collaborative work on a drug-related visual display, oral presentation, and written report.

Date: Thursday, 18th of May 2023

Time: 3 pm Central Africa Time (CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register here: https://wcea.education/portfolio-item/no-tobacco-addiction-and-advocacy/

CPD: Stress and Wellness

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This is a presentation on what stress is, and how it affects the body. It is also supposed to be an interactive and reflective session with the participants.

Webinar Title: Stress and Wellness

Objectives:

Understand stand stress
How to note stress
How to self-manage a stressful situation
When to seek care
Speaker: Miss Yvonne Kiogora

“My name is Yvonne Nkatha Kiogora. A practising Clinical Officer in Nairobi- Kenya. I have over 10 years in clinical practice. I have an expansive experience in both the public and private health sectors in different capacities. I am also trained in public health. Currently winding up my specialization in Mental health and Psychiatry. I am also pursuing a master’s in public health. I have a great love for mental health and wellbeing. I have been involved in community awareness of mental health through online media and also physically.”

Date: Thursday, 6th of April 2023

Time: 3 pm Central Africa Time (CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register Now

AFROPHC CASE STUDIES WINNER ANNOUNCED: Dr Tijani Oseni

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WINNER: Dr Tijani Oseni (Nigeria)

TITLE: BUILDING EFFECTIVE MULTIDISCIPLINARY PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TEAMS FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE IN AFRICA – A CASE OF ISTH FAMILY MEDICINE OUTPOST, IGUEBEN, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

In Nigeria, like most African countries, the Primary Health Care (PHC) centres are unable to address the health needs of rural dwellers as they lack adequate staff and equipment.
We were able to bring accessible and affordable health care services to the people of Igueben in Edo State, Nigeria using a multidisciplinary team headed by Family Physicians from the department of Family Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria. This followed request from the community. The team comprised Family Physicians, nurses, administrators, and community leaders.
We established an outpost where most common medical and surgical conditions were managed at minimal rates. More serious cases that could not be handled at the outpost were referred to ISTH. This ensured access to quality healthcare for the people within their reach and means.
Collaborating with other health workers as well as community leaders is essential for achieving universal health coverage.

ABOUT THE WINNER

Dr Tijani Oseni is a lecturer and Consultant Family Physician/ Head, Lifestyle and Behavioural medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma/ Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria. He is a fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCFM) and currently doing a PhD programme in Social and behavioural Medicine in the University of Calabar, Nigeria. His research interests are Family Medicine Education, Lifestyle and Behavioural Medicine, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Primary Health Care.
He is the Assistant Head, AfroPHC Research Team; a member of the WONCA Working Party on Research; Head Afriwon Research Group; and Research Secretary, Society of Lifestyle Medicine of Nigeria (SOLONg).
He teaches Family Medicine and mentors undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. He is passionate about rural Family Practice where he seeks to use effective low cost behavioural and lifestyle approach to bring about improved health care to the rural populace.

Neurologic and neurodevelopmental manifestations of paediatric HIV infection

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Many children in Africa fail to reach their full developmental potential. HIV infection and HIV exposure pose additional risks for young children which can manifest as neurological abnormalities and neurodevelopmental delay. The lecture explores risks and protective factors and the benefits of holistic care.

Webinar Title: Neurologic and neurodevelopmental manifestations of paediatric HIV infection

Objectives:

To describe the scope of the problem and how HIV impacts the development
HIV, ART and their effects on neurodevelopment
Neurodevelopment of HIV-exposed uninfected children
Speaker: Dr Renate Strehlau

Dr Strehlau began her career in clinical research investigating the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to infant, as well as optimal and novel drug treatment options for children and adolescents living with HIV. She holds a Masters degree and PhD in the field of early childhood development and maximizing the developmental potential of children affected by and infected with HIV. Dr Strehlau currently heads the VIDA Nkanyezi Unit in Johannesburg, South Africa which investigates infectious diseases in pregnant women and children. She is an active clinician and maintains a busy teaching portfolio.

Date: Thursday, 23rd of March 2023

Time: 4 pm Central Africa Time (CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register

Diabète Sucré | CPD Meeting 17 Nov

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Prise en charge du diabète sucré (les formes les plus rencontrées) de la définition, physiopathologie jusqu’au traitement. Le webinaire se déroulera en français.

Webinar Title: Diabète Sucré

Objectives:

Retenir les symptômes du diabète sucrée
Connaitre les complications
Savoir prendre en charge avant de référer au spécialiste


Speaker: Dr Takam Mafoche Ruth Daniele

Formation de médecin généraliste obtenu à l’Université des Montagnes au Cameroun en 2012, diplôme de spécialité obtenu à l’université Félix Houphouët Boigny en Côte d’Ivoire en 2021, diplôme universitaire sur le pied diabétique obtenu à l’université Sorbonne en France en 2022.

Facilitator: Jamie Colloty

Date: Thursday, 17th of November 2022

Time: 15:00 Central Africa Time (GMT+2 / CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register here: https://wcea.education/portfolio-item/diabete-sucree/

Chiawelo Community Practice

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Chiawelo Community Practice is an experiment in developing community-oriented primary care (COPC) more strongly in South Africa, as a model for GP-led teams contracted to the National Health Insurance (NHI). It is part of the Chiawelo Community Health Centre in Soweto, a facility owned by the public health service in South Africa. It also functions as part of the Wits University teaching and research platform. It is led by a family physician (Prof. Shabir Moosa). The team includes a family physician, an occasionally rotating 1st-year family medicine registrar, one clinical associate, three medical interns rotating weekly, one professional nurse, three enrolled nurses (team leaders), and 30-42 CHWs. They are caring for 30 000+ residents from the community of Ward 11, 12, 15, 16, & 19 in strong teamwork. Local stakeholders are engaged strongly, supporting a growing targeted health promotion programme. This has resulted in low utilisation rates (less than one visit per person per year), easy access aligned to need, high satisfaction and high clinical quality. This has been despite the challenge of a reductionist PHC system, poor management support and poor public service culture. The results could be more impressive if panels were limited to 10 000, if there was a better team structure with a single doctor leading a team of 3–4 nurse/clinical associates and 10–12 CHWs and PHC provider units that are truly empowered to manage resources locally.

Les infections néonatales bactériennes | CPD Meeting 10 Nov

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Véritable problème de santé publique dans les pays en voie de développement. Prise en charge non homologuée, et prévention moins couteuse que le traitement.

Webinar Title: Les infections néonatales bactériennes

Objectives:
Définir infections néonatales
Démarche diagnostique d’une infection néonatale bactérienne
Prendre en charge et prévenir les infections néonatales bactériennes
Speaker: Marguerite Edongue Hika

Passionnée par la médecine de l’enfant, compte se spécialiser en endocrinologie et médecine de l’adolescent.

Facilitator: Elie Badjo

Date: Thursday, 10th of November 2022

Time: 15:00 Central Africa Time (GMT+2 / CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register here: https://wcea.education/portfolio-item/les-infections-neonatales-bacteriennes/

Making access to surgical care a reality in district hospitals – experts put the idea under the knife

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By September 2022, public hospitals in the country were buckling under backlogs of more than 175,000 surgeries. Earlier in the year Spotlight published a two-part series on the human cost of surgical delays and asked what could be done about it.

One solution proposed by some surgical experts is to devolve less-complicated surgical procedures to district hospitals closer to patients. The AfroSurg3 Conference held at the end of September, however, shed some light on the often suboptimal conditions for surgical care at district hospitals, especially in rural areas, and showed that it will take time, effort and resources to make such an approach work……more

Antiretroviral Treatment Failure | CPD Webinar November 3

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Join our next webinar, hosted & sponsored by the African Forum for Primary Health Care & WONCA Africa. The presentation is about the approach to ATF – Antiretroviral Treatment Failure. The webinar will be held in English.

Webinar Title: “Antiretroviral Treatment Failure”

Objectives:
1. Assessing Adherence
2. Facilitating Adherence
3. 2nd and 3rd Line Regimens
4. Resistance Testing

Speaker: Dr Melanie Collins – General practitioner at Good Life Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. Focused predominantly on HIV prevention, diagnosis, and management, as well as Mental Health.

Moderator: Prof Shabir Moosa

Date: Thursday, 3rd of November 2022 [Add to Calendar]

Time: 15:00 Central Africa Time (GMT+2 / CAT)

Duration: 1 hour

CPD Points: 1

Register here: https://wcea.education/portfolio-item/antiretroviral-treatment-failure/

Webinar October 27 | Capacity development and team building strategies for organizational growth: a practice-based approach in the context of PHC

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Join our next webinar, hosted & sponsored by the African Forum for Primary Health Care & WONCA Africa.

Webinar Title: “Capacity development and team building strategies for organizational growth: a practice-based approach in the context of primary health care”

The Webinar will be held in English.

Please share the event with your Organization’s Members & reserve your spot in the WCEA App.

Webinar October 20 | Hypertension artérielle: Diagnostique et prise en charge

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Join our next webinar, hosted & sponsored by the African Forum for Primary Health Care & WONCA Africa.

Webinar Title: Hypertension artérielle: Diagnostique et prise en charge

The Webinar will be held in French.

Please share the event with your Organization’s Members & reserve your spot in the WCEA App.

AfroPHC Policy Workshop on Bridging the Gap: Health Equity in PHC in Africa

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Join us at our next interactive AfroPHC Policy Workshop on “Bridging the Gap: Health Equity in PHC in Africa” 11am-2pm Ghana, 12pm-3pm Nigeria, 1-4 pm Central/Southern Africa and 2-5pm Kenya next Tuesday 18th October. Check your local time here. Link below

Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 850 2305 9229 | Passcode: 241734

Our panel, moderated by Ms. Rawia Kamal, is made up of the following expert: Morrish Humphrey Ojok, Kim Yu and Viviana Martinez-Bianchi.

After the panel discussion of 1 hour, we will break up into small groups with specific facilitators / language groups for 45 minutes to discuss the following question/s.

  1. In your experience, what are the factors that have contributed to health disparities and inequities in the access and delivery of primary health care from:
  2. A community perspective?
  3. A healthcare worker/ service delivery perspective?
  4. What are some of the solutions you would recommend addressing these gaps and promote health equity?

We will close the meeting with feedback and summarise key issues. We want to build discussions into the draft AfroPHC Policy Document “Building the PHC Team for UHC in Africa”. The panel and feedback will have French translations. See more details, including speaker’s bios below.

Morrish Humphrey Ojok Country Manager Amref Health Africa in South Sudan. Morrish Humphrey Ojok serves as the Country Manager of Amref Health Africa in South Sudan. Morrish is an experienced leader in the field of global public health, health in emergencies and sexual and reproductive health and international development. He has extensive experience in driving complex programme deployment, monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and management in multiple countries.  Morrish has over 17 years’ experience developing and delivering organizational strategies, with extensive experience of complex management and governance issues. He strongly believes that its through Primary Health Care that Universal Health Coverage can become a reality in Africa. He also believes that through partnership and collaboration with all stakeholders at all levels from community level, Government, private sector and with support from the broader international community and donors, innovative, culturally sensitive, and appropriate solutions to Africa’s health challenges can be found and fostered.  

Dr. Kim Yu: Board certified in family medicine, Dr. Kim Yu is National Director for Clinical and Community Partnerships for Aledade, based in Orange County, California. Dr. Yu speaks internationally and trains family physicians, residents and medical students on health equity, population health, value-based care, health IT, leadership, advocacy, disaster relief, social media, and physician wellness. Dr. Yu currently serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of the California Academy of Family Physicians; She also chairs WONCA’s Special Interest Group in Health Equity and is AAFP delegate to the AMA. She is past president of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Viviana Martinez- Bianchi: Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi is an associate professor in Duke’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and  named North Carolina’s 2021 Family Physician of the Year by the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP). The honor is the most prestigious award from the NCAFP, the state’s largest specialty medical association, comprised of more than 4,300 members. Dr. Martinez-Bianchi, a family physician committed to health equity in her community and around the world, serves as Director of Health Equity for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University. She is a co-founder of the Latinx Advocacy Team & Interdisciplinary Network for COVID-19, better known as LATIN-19. The group was established in March of 2020 to address inequities in the COVID-19 pandemic response, the health system in general and communities in Central North Carolina. Prior to becoming Director of Health Equity, Dr. Martinez-Bianchi served as Program Director for the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program.

Post-doctoral position available at AHRI

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This eighteen-months Post-doc position will support the work of the research vision and objectives, data and methodology, and omics workstreams of the CE-APCC. The work will happen in several phases with the first phase a landscape review of population cohorts in Africa with regards to their research visions and aims, scope for data and methodological harmonization, and opportunities for omics approaches. During the second phase, the candidate will organize and facilitate a series of thematic workshops with stakeholders in Africa to discuss and enhance the landscape review. This information will be summarized in a participatory pathway impact analysis. The third phase will build a consensus on the research vision and objectives for the APCC and opportunities for omics, data, and methodological advances. In the final phase the candidate will participate in the writing of the final APCC blueprint. The candidate will work with three other postdoctoral fellows on this project who are based in Malawi and Kenya.

This is an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral candidate to work directly with leading scientists in Africa in the fields of population, public health, data, and omics sciences. The candidate will work under the direct supervision of Dr Kobus Herbst, the co-lead of the CE-APCC; Drs. Anjali Sharma, Jacques Emina and Mercy Wanjala, conveners of the Research Vision and Objectives workstream; Drs. Agnes Kiragga and Sikhulile Moyo, co-leads of the Data & Methodology workstreams; and Prof Michele Ramsay, lead of the Omics workstream.

It is an unprecedented opportunity to explore the research landscape of the most important population cohorts, including the more than 30 health and demographic surveillance systems in Africa and build an invaluable network of scientists in Africa as a resource for a scientific career that will positively impact of the health and wellbeing of the African population. This work will result in several publications documenting the landscape review and the process of establishing the APCC.

Qualifications and experience:

PhD in a relevant subject
Strong systematic review skills
Ability to prepare results for publication and draft own manuscripts
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Self-motivated, able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
Good interpersonal skills and team orientated
Please click here to apply. Closing date is Friday, 21 October 2022.

The salary for this position depends on previous experience and brackets are according to AHRI’s official scheme and NRF grades, which will be without tax deduction due to tax exemption status for postdoctoral fellows.

WHO policy brief on COVID-19 infodemic management

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The WHO policy brief on COVID-19 infodemic management outlines key actions for countries to consider when developing infodemic management policies, focusing on opportunities for strengthening and supporting such a network of actors.

The policy brief on infodemic management can be used by health authorities to support the development of a comprehensive infodemic management strategy, adapted to their country that leverages these activities efficiently. The brief highlights the importance of equipping health workers with skills to address health misinformation and the need for designated infodemic management teams to generate rapid actionable insights for health systems.

The policy brief is available in all official WHO languages.

The key points in the policy brief: 1. Train health workers, who are often the most trusted source of health information, to better identify and address health misinformation. 2. Tailor health, information and digital literacy initiatives to specific populations, and seek to debunk misinformation before it is widely disseminated through digital media and other channels. 3. Strive to develop high-quality, accessible health information in different digital formats designed for reuse, remixing and sharing and for rapid digital spread through social networks. 4. Establish an infodemic workforce for rapid infodemic insights generation and response, if necessary, by training staff to fulfil these functions; and ensure this function is clearly linked to and aligned with risk communications and community engagement efforts…more

Webinar on Implementation Research for Primary Health Care

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The International Institute for Primary Health Care-Ethiopia, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is hosting a webinar on ‘Implementation research for PHC’ as the next installment in our series on Strengthening PHC Systems in LMICs. Professor Getnet Mitike of IPHC-E will moderate this session, with speakers joining us from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA and Pathfinder International…more

LSHTM PHC seminar series launch

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”Primary Health Care – the heart of every health system”, a 10-part seminar series runs from October 2022 to July 2023 providing an overview of the key features and functions of PHC, the potential of PHC in all health systems and its role in achieving universal health coverage.

The first session will be:
Panel Discussion: Primary Health Care, the heart of every health system?
12.45 – 13.45, Wed 5 Oct 2022
Introduction: Liam Smeeth (LSHTM)
Panellists: Kara Hanson (LSHTM), Shannon Barkley (WHO), Alex Mold (LSHTM), Shabir Moosa (Wits University)
Chairs:
Luke Allen (LSHTM) & Luisa Pettigrew (LSHTM)

…more

Long covid—an update for primary care

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#LongCOVID (prolonged symptoms following covid-19 infection) is common.
The mainstay of management is supportive, holistic care, symptom control, and detection of treatable complications.
Many patients can be supported effectively in #primaryhealthcare by a GP with a special interest…more