Primary health care
With help from a broad range of global and local partners, PATH works with national and subnational governments to reimagine primary health care (PHC) through a multi-disciplinary, person-centered approach that improves health and well-being for all.
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What we do
Advancing person-centered care
Recognizing PHC as the critical pathway to achieving universal health coverage, PATH's primary health care program accelerates the development of multidisciplinary, high-performing primary health care services. Strong PHC is not only essential to accelerating progress toward health for all, it is also the world’s first and best line of defense against epidemics, pandemics, and health threats like antimicrobial resistance and climate change.
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.
Partner with us.
Let's advance primary health care around the world.
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October 12, 2022Centering people in primary health care
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People-centered primary health care for all
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January 3, 2024Six ways to advance mental health care for all
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Integrated person–centered health services: Translating learnings from HIV to pave the way for universal health coverage
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August 24, 2020Mapping the road to equity in maternal, newborn, and child health
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Kimberly Green
Global Program Director, Primary Health Care
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Muyiwa Tegbe
Deputy Director, Primary Health Care
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Katharine Shelley
Deputy Director, Integration & Metrics
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Amy Heyden
Global Program Administrator, Reproductive Health
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Ashley Jackson, MSPH
Team Lead, Sexual and Reproductive Health
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Debjeet Sen
Early Child Development Team Lead
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Elizabeth Rowley
Senior Global Advisor, Gender Programs and Research
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Helen McGuire, MHA
Program Leader, Noncommunicable Diseases
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Johannes van Dam, MD, MSc
Program Leader, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis and Health Systems Innovation and Delivery
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Kiersten Israel-Ballard
Maternal, Newborn, Child Health & Nutrition, Acting Team Lead
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Amy Dempsey
Communications Officer, Programs and Innovation