Primary Health Care consists of those interventions of trained health professionals to protect and promote health of the people. PHC is what professionals do for people through mass control programs in public sanitation, water supplies and vaccination; however, community-based health care is what people do for themselves. In community-based programs people themselves take the initiative to improve nutrition, sanitation and living conditions.
Community-based health care demands not only participation of people but also changes in behavior related to health. Great advances in health have come about largely through mass control programs in public sanitation, water supplies and vaccination programs. But little progress has been made related to changing behavior in order to eradicate diseases.
Behavior results from underlying values, beliefs and basic assumptions. If changes are to occur in these, changes must take place from within. Behavioral changes are a result of changed knowledge, values and beliefs, which comes from active participatory learning.
It is our desire to assist countries to go beyond their excellent Primary Health Care programs to implement Community-Based Health Care. Trained local people can be vital catalysts for a Community Health Care Program. They can help alleviate the health problems by teaching their neighbors principles that have direct impact on their physical health.
