Results for Development (R4D), in partnership with the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) and the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN), has published a new resource for policymakers, practitioners and development partners on how to implement primary health care networks. This Learning Brief draws on lessons learned from an action-oriented peer learning community of practice (COP) facilitated by R4D between 2020-2022.
The COP hosted learning exchanges focused on transforming the health system to prioritize primary health care as well as implementing and measuring the performance of primary care networks (PCNs). PCNs are systems of collaborating primary care providers working together to provide quality primary care to patients in a coordinated approach. Because PCNs are still emerging as a well-understood model for organizing primary care, R4D and its partners recognized a unique opportunity for knowledge generation and cross-country collaborative learning about how to design, implement, and scale up PCNs.
The latest phase of the COP brought together a broad community of learners to follow and learn from three country teams implementing PCNs — Colombia, Ghana, and Kenya — and share knowledge and experiences with their peers. The Learning Brief, Transforming Primary Health Care Delivery and Financing Through Primary Care Networks, was developed through a collaborative learning process among primary health care leaders and implementers from around the globe. It shares practical lessons and recommendations for countries that are improving the financing and delivery of primary health care. It also provides a timely look at how countries in different contexts are innovating to deliver essential health services through PCNs and highlights country demand for more cross-country learning, evidence generation, and support to improve primary health care.
