Primary Health Care Practice Journal: a pathway to universal health coverage and sustainable development through scientific evidence and field lessons

Abstract

This editorial introduces the Primary Health Care Practice Journal (PHCPJ), a new addition to the Pan African Medical Journal (PAMJ) family, to the scholars and practitioners of primary health care. The launch of this new journal, dedicated to Primary Health Care (PHC) practice is both timely and essential, reflecting the growing recognition of PHC as the cornerstone of equitable and resilient health systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines PHC as essential health care, based on practical, scientifically founded, and socially acceptable methods and technologies, made available to all individuals and families in the community, through their full participation, and at a cost that the community and the country can bear, at each and every stage of their development, in a spirit of self-responsibility and self-determination [1]. Primary Health Care (PHC) serves as a central function and main focus of a country's health system while also contributing significantly to the social and economic development of communities [1]. It is deeply rooted in the principles of self-responsibility, self-determination, accessibility, community engagement, and equity