Primary health care experiences in the developing world: lessons for Canada?

Primary health care, as practised in many developing countries, is a set of guidelines for designing health strategies that are both appropriate to the health needs of the population and to cultural and socio-economic contexts. Four aspects of primary health care experience in developing countries may be relevant to Canadian health care: the integration of health and development, participation of the community in problem identification and program planning, the role of the community-based worker, and the use of health information. Canadian physicians may draw on this experience to address present challenges in our health system: providing health services to marginal groups, viewing health in a broader perspective, the escalating costs of health services, and increasing community involvement in planning health services.