29
Jan

For the past four decades after the Alma-Ata Declaration, information and communication technologies have evolved from being complex and costly to becoming integral to health services. Since 1990s, the internet exponentially catalyzed digital technologies in health management, diagnosis and policy monitoring.[1] By 2015, over 120 countries with 14 from East Asia Pacific, have national digital health policies, as lever to shape the future of primary health care (PHC) towards Sustainable Development Goals.

PHC has been integral to development strategies valued for its inclusivity, equity and cost-efficiency in delivering health services. It bolsters resilience against pandemics and natural disasters, which are crucial given the challenges posed by climate change, epidemiologic, and demographic transitions. Yet, there are more to be done to improve investments. Among low- and middle-income countries globally, government spending for PHC vary from 2% to 56%.[2]

In the Asia Pacific region, the progress, challenges and direction of PHC investments widely vary given the economic, socio-demographic, and cultural diversity of countries, from the most populous country in Asia to the least populous in the remote islands in the Pacific. With this, it is pivotal to have a deeper understanding of the interrelated systemic issues and to capitalize on technological advancements towards efficient financing, human resources and governance of PHC systems. This will portray a more vivid picture of what high-performing PHC systems look like in a country-specific context, agile and responsive in the era of digital innovations.

To tackle these issues, the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) Global Practice and the East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist (EAPCE) Office, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (APO), conducted research aimed to provide critical assessment of PHC in the region to inform effective strategies. This is part of the bigger PHC endeavour involving both WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions that will support necessary reforms and creating a compelling regional narrative for policy-makers in ministries of finance and health.

Given this backdrop, the landscape of status, policies, strategies of PHC systems in EAP will be presented. This will be substantiated by country stories in the field within and beyond Asia Pacific to capture diverse contexts, then be enriched by discussions on harnessing digital technologies to drive disruptive reforms for healthier communities.

[1] WHO. 2018. Technical Series on PHC. Digital technologies: shaping the future of primary health care

[2] WHO. 2018. Technical Series on PHC. Building the economic case for primary health care: a scoping review.