SIDE EVENT: ON THE ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH: INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND THE ROLE OF FAMILY MEDICINE

OnMay22nd,2023,theMinistryofHealthof Indonesia hosted a side-event in collaborationwithWONCA,theWorldHealth Organization (WHO), and the Besrour Centre to discuss on the transformation of primary careandthecrucialroleoffamilymedicinein enabling integrated primary health services. The event aimed to highlight the efforts undertakenbyIndonesiaandothercountries to reorient its healthcare model towards a primary healthcare and people-centered approach

The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on national and global health systems, necessitating transformative actions.Recognisingtheneedforchange,the Ministry of Health of Indonesia launched six pillars of health transformation, with the transformationofprimarycaredeliverybeing a key focus The objective of this transformation is to enhance promotive and preventive services, including strengthened preventive efforts, early detection, health promotion,infrastructuredevelopment,wellequipped facilities, human resource development,andimprovedmanagementof primary care services across the country To achieve this, Indonesia has adopted the concept of "Integrated People-Centered Health Services" (IPCHS) with a life cycle approach.

“I want to leave a legacy and ensure all Indonesianpeoplehaveahappy,healthylife and well-being I strongly believe that the best wealth is health” stated the Minister of HealthofIndonesia,BudiG Sadikin

The side-event also brought together healthcare leaders from various countries to exchange insights and experiences on effective approaches to reorienting the model of primary care and enhancing the role of family medicine in facilitating integratedprimaryhealthservices.Theevent also featured WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal; Dr Raymond Bruce J. Aylward, AssistantDirector-General(UHC,LifeCourse) at WHO HQ; Dr Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID; Dr David Ponka, Director of Besrour Centre in Canada; ; and Dr Innocent Besigye from BesrourCenter

“Now,morethanever,whattheworldneeds is: High-quality Primary Care” expressed Dr Anna Stavdal “A close-to-home, healthcare hub,thatfunctionsinseamlesscollaboration with Social Care and Public Health services, as well as with hospitals That requires strong, interprofessional teams, with qualifiedFamilyDoctor”.

Theeventtookplaceinahybridformat,with an in-person meeting at Room Foyer A, Fairmont Grand Hotel, Geneva, and remote participationviaZoom.

During her participation, Dr Anna Stavdal, President of WONCA, reaffirmed WONCA's commitment to strengthening Primary Health Care as a fundamental prerequisite forattainingUniversalHealthCoverage.

This side-event served as a significant step forwardinthejourneytowardsstrengthening primarycareandachievingintegratedhealth services The outcomes and lessons learned fromthiseventwillcontributetotheongoing efforts of countries worldwide to transform their healthcare systems for the betterment oftheirpopulations