People access health care throughout their life, for a continuum of services that promote, prevent, diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, or provide palliative care for a range of needs. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of care that people seek over their lifetimes is delivered through primary health care. However, in some settings, service tends to focus more on curative care and less on health promotion and prevention.

At PATH, we specialize in transforming primary health care to better serve the whole person’s health needs throughout their life. We help country partners to achieve this by putting people at the center of health care, adopting person-centered technologies and approaches, and supporting the delivery of tailored and integrated essential health services, through multidisciplinary teams.

We partner with private-sector providers like pharmacy stores, clinics, and e-commerce sites to expand access to innovative self-care products and self-testing options for HIV, TB, family planning, diabetes, hypertension, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, mental health, COVID-19, and some cancers.

By expanding testing options, individuals and communities are offered easy-to-access, fast, and confidential pathways to treatment and management. This is one of PATH’s key approaches for optimizing access to care.

A healthier and more prosperous world is within reach, but it is essential to transform primary health care funding models, so we can ensure greater quality, coverage, and impact.

Only 2 to 56 percent of national health budgets in low- and middle-income countries go to primary health care, and in many countries, that is not enough to meet the population’s needs. The bulk of health care spending and investments goes toward curative services and infrastructure that support treatment, but a smarter investment is preventing sickness and keeping people healthy and thriving.

Using data and evidence, PATH partners with governments, the private sector, and donors to develop innovative financing mechanisms. We do this because smart investments strengthen health systems and enable robust and resilient multidisciplinary teams to deliver a broad range of services that reflect the needs of the communities they serve.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to shock health systems, disrupt communities, and threaten global health goals. And, according to the World Health Organization, the interruption of essential health services may result in more sickness and death than even originally projected.

An ongoing threat is antimicrobial resistance, which resulted in an estimated 1.2 million deaths in 2019, more than HIV or malaria combined. Climate change is leading to more poor health outcomes as temperatures rise and storm systems, floods, fires, and droughts increase. These emergencies place increased pressure on PHC to prevent, detect, respond, and adapt to ongoing care needs for healthier and more secure lives.

PATH helps countries build more resilient and adaptable primary health care systems that are equipped to identify and respond to health threats such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, infectious disease outbreaks, and more. We also help countries sustain routine essential health services delivery during health emergencies.

To withstand future threats, we must use what we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to implement protective measures that ensure strong primary health care systems, enabling them to serve as the first and best line of defense.