Assessment of the implementation of the primary health care package at selected sites in South Africa.

A major objective of public health policy in South Africa is to develop a district-based health service focused on the delivery of primary health care. The primary health care package has been developed to promote the delivery of a number of services at the primary level. This paper assesses the implementation of the package in eight historically disadvantaged urban renewal nodes singled out for accelerated development through the government's urban renewal strategy. Data were gathered by way of interviews with primary health care facility managers and programme co-ordinators and through physical observations at facilities. The findings show that while some facilities were able to offer clients most of the services specified by the package, many others were unable do so. The urban renewal nodes differed noticeably in this respect.