Primary Healthcare

What We Do › Primary Healthcare

"Given the current budgetary constraints that we are all feeling at local, national, and international levels, it is even more imperative to focus on primary care and prevention programs. The bridges and relationships we have built through our AIHA partnership with Tomsk are invaluable tools for creating a safer, more caring, global community."

Mary Thompson, public health nurse and US partnership coordinator (Tomsk, Russia/Bemidji, Minnesota, and Engels, Russia/Bemidji, Minnesota, partnerships)

In an era when poor lifestyle choices are resulting in swiftly increasing rates of chronic disease, disability, and behavioral health concerns the world over, the age-old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is more relevant that ever before. In developed and developing countries alike, more and more deaths are attributed to largely preventable causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and accidental injuries or poisoning.

AIHA partnerships and programs are working to change this by offering a broad range of community outreach and education services that help advance public health initiatives while at the same time promoting individual responsibility. By mobilizing various sectors of the community—including politicians, civic leaders, clergy, educators, and healthcare providers, as well as representatives of differing ages and socio-economic groups—AIHA’s community-based partnerships and programs are able to assess local needs and available resources then set priorities for targeting the health-related issues of greatest concern to the population.

Whether the goal is to address health concerns specific to an individual population, improve public awareness of health issues through education and outreach, or broaden the scope and accessibility of preventive screening and other clinical services, the success of these community-based alliances clearly illustrates that people are eager to play a more active role in improving both their individual health as well as that of their community. A financial benefit of this approach is that it supports a key health reform goal of many countries by helping them transition from a system heavily dependent on tertiary care to one that emphasizes primary care, prevention, and personal responsibility.

Projects

AIHA’s efforts to improve the scope and availability of high-quality primary care services through specific programmatic activities include:

Conferences and Workshops

Community-oriented Primary Care Replication Meeting – Almaty, Kazakhstan (May 15-19, 2006)

Central Asia Primary Healthcare Conference – Tashkent, Uzbekistan (March 6-7, 2006)

Antenatal Care Dissemination Workshop – Pristina, Kosovo (March 1, 2006)

Primary Care Study Tour – Kiev, Ukraine (January 23-27, 2006)

Information Resources

Disseminating accurate, timely information rooted in evidence-based practices and sharing successful models and lessons learned plays an important role in AIHA’s strategy for sustainable healthcare programs. For more information about primary healthcare, please visit the following links:

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