Surveillance, response & management

Primary Health Care is a critical foundation for the direct surveillance, response and management of outbreaks.
Primary Health Care is a critical foundation for the direct surveillance, response and management of outbreaks.
As a person’s first entry point into the health system, PHC not only provides a platform for ensuring access to essential and routine healthcare but is also a critical foundation for the direct surveillance, response and management of outbreaks. PHC, by nature of its community orientation, allows for the multi-sectoral action needed to reduce vulnerability and build resilience of communities. The central role of PHC is perhaps best illustrated by the consequences of its absence, as was the case during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, when a lack of trust in PHC led to delays in reporting and treatment of cases which increased morbidity and mortality, and prolonged the duration of the outbreak.
Leveraging PHC for outbreak response is particularly important in low- and middle-income countries where there is often limited access to healthcare overall, and in particular to highly specialized tertiary care and intensive care units that have been the primary focus of COVID-19 response in higher income settings. Below, we highlight three strategies—drawing from PHCPI’s Improvement Strategies—for how PHC systems can be leveraged for COVID-19 surveillance, response and management.
In addition to these strategies on surveillance, response, and management, users can access COVID-19 Improvement Strategies related to maintaining access to routine and essential services.