Overview
This case study gives a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's primary health care system. This study aims to capture the dimensions of the
PHC sector in Pakistan in terms of its structures
and processes, and the tangible as well as the less
tangible outcomes. It also picks up four pathways
of recent change within the PHC system, and looks
at interconnections between the PHC structure,
processes and outcomes in shaping success, as well
as the related constraints.
The study aims to bridge the gap in front-line health
care delivery systems at national and subnational
levels; to provide insight into how PHC systems
operate in a low- and middle-income country
settings; and to identify what can be learned from
the PHC experience.
This case study was developed by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, an international partnership hosted by the World Health Organization, as part of the Primary Health Care Systems (PRIMASYS) initiative. PRIMASYS is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and aims to advance the science of primary health care in low- and middle-income countries in order to support efforts to strengthen primary health care systems and improve the implementation, effectiveness and efficiency of primary health care interventions worldwide. The PRIMASYS case studies cover key aspects of primary health care systems, including policy development and implementation, financing, integration of primary health care into comprehensive health systems, scope, quality and coverage of care, governance and organization, and monitoring and evaluation of system performance. The Alliance has developed full and abridged versions of the 20 PRIMASYS case studies. The abridged version provides an overview of the primary health care system, tailored to a primary audience of policy-makers and global health stakeholders interested in understanding the key entry points to strengthen primary health care systems. The comprehensive case study provides an in-depth assessment of the system for an audience of researchers and stakeholders who wish to gain deeper insight into the determinants and performance of primary health care systems in selected low- and middle-income countries.