Alma Ata revival

Grassroots initiatives were crucial in shaping the 1978 Declaration of Alma Ata, “health for all by the year 2000” and the idea of Primary Health Care (PHC). New energy coalesced and a myriad of programs emerged to meet this World Health Organization (WHO) declaration and goal. Attaining the goal proved difficult. Within a year “selective primary care” was coined, stripping primary health care of its population focus. Health planners, government officials, and practitioners did not foresee the influencing factors including the world economic crisis of the 1980's, the health and political transitions, and health sector reform. In 2000, the People's Health Movement, a group of Non Governmental organizations created The People's Health Charter to reclaim the tenets of PHC with limited success. Current worldwide concerns regarding health care costs, increasing disparities, and decreasing security are converging and the time is ripe for revisiting Alma Ata. PHC is a strategy, not a package, to ensure that health and well-being are maximized for all citizens. Political and social support from civil society and governments can be mobilized by those who are committed to equitable promotion of health. Research efforts are underway to document evidence of the success of PHC. These combined efforts must be taken to WHO, the World Bank and governments. PHC implementation is a key strategy toward achieving the security, safety and hope of the peoples of the world.