Alma-Ata and Primary Health Care: An Evolving Story

The International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma-Ata, USSR, 1978, was an event of major global importance, particularly in public health. WHO was seeking advances in the development of basic health services, particularly for poor populations, and this process gained widespread assistance in planning and development. The conference was notable in terms of widespread international participation, and global agreement on policies and implementation. The years that followed have included highly complex interactions between the Primary Health Care principles and policies and evolving global perspectives, some with profound negative effects, others strongly supportive, such as the Millennium Development Goals.