Primary Care

“Passionate for Primary Health Care”, Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, PAHO

Friday, 15 May 2009 07:08 Garance Upham

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Director, PAHO

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Director of PAHO, the Pan American Health Organisation told us: “I am passionately in favor of Primary Health Care because I believe we need to have in place well-functioning health systems!”

 

Q: Commenting on two opposite vision of PHC, a session moderator commented that Alma Ata's definition of PHC was that of ESSENTIAL health care for all, but many have redefined PHC as "PRIMITIVE health care". Would you care to comment?

Dr Mirta Roses Periago: I am passionately in favor of Primary Health Care because I believe we need to have in place well-functioning health systems that are:

Able to protect the population under any circumstances;

Resistant and resilient in the face of crises;

Capable of reacting rapidly and developing urgent strategies;

Skilled at rebuilding themselves as necessary to respond to current and future challenges arising from demographic and epidemiological changes./.../