Continuing Education Programme
Department of Community Health Sciences
Medical College, Faculty of Health Sciences
Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT COURSE

INTRODUCTION

Primary Health Care (PHC) has been globally accepted as an appropriate strategy for universal coverage of essential healthcare on equitable basis, accessible at an affordable cost with full participation of the people. Implementation of simple PHC technologies has resulted in substantial reduction of mortality and morbidity and enhancing the life expectancy. Government of Pakistan has a commitment to adopt PHC philosophy, concepts and strategies as an essential part of healthcare system of the country. To fulfill this commitment, there is a need to train and reorient healthcare personnel about PHC as a strategy and its techniques, for its effective and meaningful implementation.

Over the last 20 years, public health system has expanded its infrastructure in all the four provinces and the federally administered areas in the country. There is a need to make this infrastructure more effective and fully utilized. Front-line healthcare providers are very important cadre in any healthcare system, functioning at the grass root level. They are in direct contact with the community and know their aspirations as well as frustrations. They have proved their merit and importance in the healthcare system. However, there is a need to orient them in PHC, so that they may use their full potential for improvement of health of the people in a more effective way. It is hoped that they would serve as an agent for change when equipped with necessary knowledge and skills.

Keeping in view the need for frontline healthcare providers, the Department of Community Health Sciences, at Aga Khan University has designed a four-weeks training programme in Primary Health Care and Health Systems Development. The purpose of this training programme is to build upon and compliment their existing knowledge and skills and to equip them with necessary tools for improved performance in Primary Health Care. Under the aegis of Continuing Education Programme of the Department, this course is being offered since 2003 and to date four courses have trained 115 participants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

GOAL

The overall goal of this training programme is to train front-line and other related healthcare providers in Primary Health Care philosophy, principles, concepts and strategies. Aim is to focus on key techniques for health care systems development, to supplement their knowledge and hands on experience; enabling them to provide leadership in effective Primary Health Care as an essential component of healthcare system.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the training course, the participants would be able to:

  • Comprehend PHC as a philosophy and concept.
  • Describe PHC principles, components, strategies and their significance in healthcare.
  • Learn how to apply these in the development of health care system, especially in field settings.
  • Relate PHC associated skills in field-based pursuits as the functions of frontline healthcare providers.
  • Translate application of strategies to communities, women, health and development.

COURSE OUTLINE

Intensive Training

  • Health and Development
  • Healthcare Systems Development
  • Health, Equity and Gender
  • Primary Health Care, Health Promotion and Community Health
  • Management Audit
  • Health Policy Reforms
  • Communication Skills
  • Primary Health Care, and Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases
  • Quality of Healthcare
  • Community Participation and its significance for Healthcare
  • Community Health Program Management
  • Reproductive Health and Child Survival Strategies
  • Environmental Health
  • Primary Health Care in the changing world scenario

Field Based Training
For learning PHC techniques, participants will work in small groups at urban field sites in squatter settlements of Karachi, being managed by the Department. Each group will work with PHC team members to be able to:

  • Get aquatinted with PHC concepts and their application
  • Observe how NGOs are working in PHC
  • Identify the problems and learn interventions
  • Analyze and resolve the problems

Participants will write a report on their experiences.

TEACHING METHODS

Qualified and experienced faculty and staff of the CHS and other departments at AKU will conduct the training course. The basic educational strategy is 'Learning by Doing', with the participatory approach. The interactive classroom sessions, group work and panel discussions will be complemented with relevant field based exposure for experiential learning.

The entire course has been divided into twelve modules, each consisting of one to five-days duration. Each day will begin with a review of the previous day's work by one or two participants. Similarly the day will end with an overview of the next day's programme.

Each module or a set of modules will be followed by a panel discussion, to provide an opportunity to the participants to further clarify any of the concepts or contents with the help of faculty panelists.

A course book will be given at the beginning of the programme. Different teaching materials and handouts will be made available during the programme for complementary reading, preparation of assignments and for ready reference.

EVALUATION
At the beginning of the training course, the participants will give a pre-test to find out areas requiring further strengthening. Similarly at the end a post-test will facilitate to know the learning achieved during the training course. Participants will also conduct daily and overall evaluations of the training programme.

DURATION OF THE COURSE
The duration of the course is 4 weeks (22 working days). The scheduled dates are from August 15 to September 8, 2007, both days inclusive.

TUITION FEE
The course tuition fee is Pak Rs. 21,500/= (US $ 375/=) which covers classroom instructions, field visits, course material, refreshments and simple lunch during working hours.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The training course would be useful for senior and mid-level health and development planners, managers and researchers, working with Government, NGOs, and national and international development agencies. This would benefit not only the course participants, but also their parent organizations, programmes and the populations they serve.

ELIGIBILITY
Participant should hold a graduate degree in health or social sciences from a recognized institution with 2 – 5 years’ work experience in health care organizations. English is the exclusive language of instruction, therefore participants must be comfortable to read, write and speak in English language.

COURSE DIRECTOR
Dr. Parvez Nayani,
Senior Instructor,
Tel: (092-21) 4864886
email: parvez.nayani@aku.edu