What a primary health care is: some considerations after almost thirty five years of Alma-Ata

Abstract

Primary health care was conceived in the 70s as a comprehensive, joint and inclusive strategy to achieve the goal of “Health for Everyone”. It was the result of important social, political and economic changes which occurred at global level back in those years and which persist until now. Due to an unfortunate combination of words, Primary Healthcare has been mistakenly understood by many as “healthcare at the basic level” or the “provision of basic, and hence insufficient services to the poorest”, wrong concepts that contribute to the current social and health inequalities. This article explains what primary healthcare is and what it is not in order to address the subject in its real context.