Principles of Primary Health Care

In order to achieve shared health objectives, the primary health care approach is founded on the concepts of social fairness, nationwide accessibility, independence, intersectoral coordination, and public participation in program planning and implementation. "Health by the people and putting people's health in people's hands" has been used to characterize this strategy. The Government of Nepal, a signatory to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, has fully understood the significance of adhering to primary health care techniques for the development of coordinated, high-quality health care services for those residing in both rural and urban areas. These are the main tenets of this declaration:

There are five basic principles of PHC:

• Accessibility of health service to all population (equitable distribution)
• Maximum individual & community involvement in the planning & implementation of health care services (community participation)
• Emphasis on service that is preventive & promotive rather than curative.
• Use of appropriate technology.
• Integration of health development with overall social and economic development.

Accessibility of health service to all population:
The word "accessibility" describes a health care system that is reachable and usable by everyone. As a result, health posts must be placed in areas where people can access them quickly. Additionally, it implies that everyone should have access to health services regardless of their age, sex, gender, religion, caste, level of income, education, or place of residence. Accessibility refers to the ability of the entire community to easily access care in terms of location, cost, culture, and other practical considerations.

• Geographic accessibility refers to how easily individuals may move over a given distance and by which modes of transportation.
• Financial accessibility indicates that the community and the nation can afford the services, regardless of the mode of payment.
• Cultural accessibility refers to how well-suited the technical and managerial approaches are to the local customs.
• Functional accessibility refers to the provision of the appropriate care to those in need on an ongoing basis, whenever they need it, and by the health team necessary for its proper delivery.

Maximum individual & community involvement in the planning & implementation of health care services:
The international community is now aware that local communities must be involved if universal primary healthcare coverage is to be realized. Community participation, in the words of WHO and UNICEF, is "the process through which individuals and families assume responsibility for their own health and welfare as well as for that of the community and develop the capacity to contribute to their and the community's development." To help community volunteers deliver healthcare independently, efforts were made to foster community involvement and community health volunteers. Female community health volunteers (FCHVS) in Nepal are an excellent example of a community work force, with success stories involving the distribution of ORS, Vitamin A, polio and immunization vaccines, anti-helminthes drugs, and now some cases of ARI. Since they were chosen from the neighborhood itself, this is another illustration of community involvement. Other healthcare professionals in Nepal include Maternal and Child Health Workers (MCHWs), who are chosen from their own community and are currently undergoing training to become Auxiliary Midwives (ANMs), and Village Health Workers (VHWs), who are in charge of immunization. Other Auxiliary Health Workers (AHW) are paramedics who are hired at the community level.

Emphasis on service those are preventive & promotive rather than curative:
Services that promote and prevent disease teach people how to stay healthy and avoid getting sick. Drinking contaminated water, practicing poor hygiene and sanitation, and cramming a lot of people into a tiny space can all cause diseases. smoking cigarettes or chulos (homemade stoves), among other things. The provision of clean water to communities, sanitation facilities like toilets, adequate housing, the isolation of sick people from other family members, the availability of an adequate amount of nutrient-rich food, and vaccination programs are examples of preventive and promotional services.

Use of appropriate technology:
According to one definition, appropriate technology is that which can be "maintained by the people themselves in keeping with the principle of self-reliance with the resources the community and country can afford." It also needs to be "scientifically sound, adaptable to local needs, and acceptable to those who apply it and those for whom it is used." The word "appropriate" is stressed because in some nations, extravagantly large hospitals that are completely unsuited to the needs of the community are constructed. These hospitals consume a sizable portion of the national health budget, effectively preventing any advancement in general healthcare services. This also applies to using pricey tools, processes, and methods when less expensive, legitimate, and acceptable alternatives are available, such as stand pipes and oarl rehydrate solution, which are more socially and financially acceptable.

Integration of health development overall social & economic development:
It is impossible for health to improve without also raising people's social and economic standing. Taking a multi-sectoral approach to health is implied by integration with social and economic growth. Either people need jobs that pay well enough for them to buy food for their families, or they need land on which to grow food. People's health is also improved by raising the standard of education and elevating women's status in society.