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. 2004 Nov;94(11):1884-93.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.11.1884.

The Christian Medical Commission and the development of the World Health Organization's primary health care approach

Socrates Litsios
Free PMC article

The Christian Medical Commission and the development of the World Health Organization's primary health care approach

Socrates Litsios. Am J Public Health. 2004 Nov.
Free PMC article

Abstract

The primary health care approach was introduced to the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board in January 1975. In this article, I describe the changes that occurred within WHO leading up to the executive board meeting that made it possible for such a radical approach to health services to emerge when it did. I also describe the lesser-known developments that were taking place in the Christian Medical Commission at the same time, developments that greatly enhanced the case for primary health care within WHO and its subsequent support by nongovernmental organizations concerned with community health.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Health promoters at the bedside of a sick child, Chimaltenango Hospital.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Thanks to a mini-dam built by the community with village labor and the help of a small loan from the health center, Sirkandi village in central Java, Indonesia, increased its rice production by 25% in 1 year. Source. Gunwan Nugroho.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A farmers’ club gathering in Jamkhed, India. Source. Connie Gates.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Magdalena Mucia de Cuex at the clinic in an informal gathering of patients, talking about nutrition for pregnant women.
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References

    1. Methodology of Planning an Integrated Health Programme for Rural Areas, Second Report of the Expert Committee on Public-Health Administration (Geneva: World Health Organization [WHO], 1954), WHO Technical Report Series 83.
    1. WHO, “The Work of WHO 1966,” Official Records No. 156, Geneva, 1967, vii.
    1. WHO, “The Work of WHO 1967,” Official Records No. 164, Geneva, 1967, vii.
    1. Litsios S., “A Programme for Research in the Organization and Strategy of Health Services” (paper presented at the WHO Director General’s Conference, June 25, 1969). WHO Headquarters, Geneva.
    1. Not suggested by the WHO Secretariat, this study resulted from a strong push by the Soviet representative to the board, Dr D. Venediktov. See S. Litsios, “The Long and Difficult Road to Alma-Ata: A Personal Reflection,” International Journal of Health Services 32 (2002): 709–732. - PubMed

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