Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era

Growing evidence shows that primary care–oriented systems achieve better health outcomes, more health equity, and lower costs. Despite this strong evidence, such care has been chronically underfunded. If a council focused on primary care had existed during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019...

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Main Author: Jayanta Bhattacharya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2023-01-01
Series:Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2023;volume=12;issue=5;spage=807;epage=811;aulast=Bhattacharya
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author_facet Jayanta Bhattacharya
author_sort Jayanta Bhattacharya
collection DOAJ
description Growing evidence shows that primary care–oriented systems achieve better health outcomes, more health equity, and lower costs. Despite this strong evidence, such care has been chronically underfunded. If a council focused on primary care had existed during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it could have helped rapidly mobilize primary care to address vaccine equity and shore up public health, particularly in rural and historically marginalized urban communities. We believe an infrastructure investment plan should include oversight, tools, and resources for rebuilding primary care. Researchers have tried to compare the number of deaths due to “neglected tropical diseases” and that due to COVID – total deaths in the former cases are greater than COVID deaths. We should take into consideration a few issues: (a) distinction between health (as a human right) and health care (as commodity), (b) “clinical health” and “public health,” (3) primary health care (as the backbone of public health) as well as community-based horizontal program NOT to be replaced by selective primary health care or GOBI or any disease-centered vertical program.
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spelling doaj.art-2282ebd3197d4b6eae8933ca9c42fb2c2023-07-23T11:32:08ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632023-01-0112580781110.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_621_23Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID eraJayanta BhattacharyaGrowing evidence shows that primary care–oriented systems achieve better health outcomes, more health equity, and lower costs. Despite this strong evidence, such care has been chronically underfunded. If a council focused on primary care had existed during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it could have helped rapidly mobilize primary care to address vaccine equity and shore up public health, particularly in rural and historically marginalized urban communities. We believe an infrastructure investment plan should include oversight, tools, and resources for rebuilding primary care. Researchers have tried to compare the number of deaths due to “neglected tropical diseases” and that due to COVID – total deaths in the former cases are greater than COVID deaths. We should take into consideration a few issues: (a) distinction between health (as a human right) and health care (as commodity), (b) “clinical health” and “public health,” (3) primary health care (as the backbone of public health) as well as community-based horizontal program NOT to be replaced by selective primary health care or GOBI or any disease-centered vertical program.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2023;volume=12;issue=5;spage=807;epage=811;aulast=Bhattacharyacovid-19 pandemicindiamedical curriculumneglected tropical diseasesprimary careusa
spellingShingle Jayanta Bhattacharya
Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
covid-19 pandemic
india
medical curriculum
neglected tropical diseases
primary care
usa
title Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
title_full Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
title_fullStr Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
title_full_unstemmed Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
title_short Revitalizing primary care is the key to people's health in the post-COVID era
title_sort revitalizing primary care is the key to people s health in the post covid era
topic covid-19 pandemic
india
medical curriculum
neglected tropical diseases
primary care
usa
url http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2023;volume=12;issue=5;spage=807;epage=811;aulast=Bhattacharya
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