When primary health care is strong, hospitals see fewer emergencies, chronic disease is caught earlier, and communities spend less overall on treating illness that could have been prevented. That link between a solid primary care layer and a healthier, more productive society is the focus of this Training Course in Strengthening Primary Health Care Systems for Communities from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy.

The course positions primary health care as a strategy that many countries use to move toward health for all, driven by the rising cost and incidence of disease and the simple fact that health underpins productivity and development. Participants explore how to build these strategies, involve the community at every stage, and coordinate services across the wider health system as part of full social and economic development.

Who Should Attend?

• Graduates of public health colleges.
• Family doctors, community pharmacists and staff of community clinics who deal directly with the public.
• Anyone who wants to build their knowledge of modern primary health care.

What You Will Be Able to Do

• Understand how communication between health professionals and patients supports primary care.
• Develop and strengthen primary health care strategies.
• Explain the role of primary health care in reducing national health care spending.
• Involve the community at every stage of primary health care development.

Module 1: Foundations of Primary Health Care

• Defining primary health care and its objectives.
• The basic elements that make up an effective primary care strategy.
• Technical conditions required for primary health care to function well.

Module 2: Health Programmes in Practice

• Designing and running community health programmes.
• Aligning programmes with the needs identified at the primary care level.
• Coordinating primary care with the wider health system.

Module 3: Community Involvement and System-Wide Impact

• The benefits of involving all parts of society in primary health care.
• How strong primary care reduces overall health care expenditure.
• Linking primary health care to broader social and economic development.