Policy recommendations

6

Each country will have its own road map for PHC reform that reflects national starting conditions, health and development priorities, and political economies. However, some policy priorities will apply across settings. This report formulates broad policy recommendations for governments and proposes actions for the global health community, including the World Bank.

Team-based care organization

1. Assess health workforce strengths and gaps and plan the transition to team-based delivery. Countries can jump-start their PHC team composition and empanelment strategies through a situation assessment and team-based care transition plan.

2. Leverage information technology on the PHC frontlines. Digital tools can foster transparency and accountability in PHC. Countries can score efficiency gains by upskilling data analysis capabilities within local care teams.

Multidisciplinary health workforce development

1. Launch multidisciplinary medical education reforms. Medical education strategies will build the skills for community-focused, team-based care.

2. Reform provider compensation to promote rural practice and generalist care. Countries can use evidence-based options to tackle compensation imbalances and redistribute the health workforce.

3. Expand tiered accreditation systems tied to reimbursement policy.

Governments can engage with the private sector to leverage its workforce and infrastructure for PHC delivery, while improving care quality and affordability. Reimbursement and strategic purchasing policies can incentivize private sector participation in a tiered accreditation system.

Financing and resource mobilization

1. Finance PHC through general government expenditure, without user fees. Countries get the best results when they finance PHC through general government revenue. PHC services should be free at the point of care.

2. Implement pro-health taxes. Countries can often boost tax revenue by implementing or increasing pro-health taxes on harmful products, especially tobacco, alcohol, and sugar.