Advancing the science and practice of primary health care as a foundation for universal health coverage: a call for papers

Health systems face increasingly complex challenges, such as the growing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, multisource pollution, new epidemics and antimicrobial resistance. These challenges have prompted an important shift in focus from curative care to health promotion and disease prevention, as well as the development of new models of service delivery, financing and governance for primary health care….

Read the editorial which calls for manuscripts that capture learnings and experience in the implementation of primary health-care policies and interventions as well as the strengthening of primary health-care systems. The editors encourage analysis of challenges, contextualized research, good practices and innovations in enhancing primary health care at the national or sub-national level, with a strong focus on stakeholder engagement and impact on population health and equity. Papers could focus on, for example, multisectoral action for primary health care and equity, implementation research and analysis of health systems reforms, bridging the gaps in workforce, digital health, quality improvement and the contribution of primary health care in advancing UHC and the SDGs.

Selected papers will be published in a theme issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization on advancing the science and practice of primary health care as a foundation for UHC.

The theme issue aims at providing a forward-looking view of the innovations, challenges and shared responsibilities in driving primary health care, and at filling gaps and fostering discussions around what is needed to implement a primary health-care vision towards UHC.

The deadline for submission is 30 November.

This theme issue will be launched at the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Dubai in 2020.