This month’s discussion topic:
Social innovations for primary health care

Even though the advancements in disease prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment have been made, health system constraints, especially in low resource settings make access to these advancements, and even basic health services a challenge.

This being a situation that is well known and identified all over the world, democratic solutions to provide equitable access to health services for all social groups are paramount. Social innovations attempt to resolve longstanding and unresolved health problems through innovative solutions that are co-partnered with local communities as well as with other stakeholders. They are therefore perceived as inclusive means of problem solving for bridging health care gaps that can ultimately resolve the real needs of communities.

Social innovations given its pivot on community partnered solutions for persevering health care challenges rightly align with the concept of Primary Health Care too. For, Primary Health Care as a modality of health care too is underpinned by the significant roles that communities could play in local health care delivery. Yet another way social innovations match with the ideals of Primary Health Care is also the emphasis both these paradigms attribute to the ideals of equity and inclusiveness of underserved and disadvantaged social groups.

This alignment of social innovations with the ideals of Primary Health Care is crucial given the evident dilution within the latter as a global pattern. For, the discourses of social innovations and research on it has the potential to strengthen the implementation of Primary Health Care modalities specifically within resource constrained settings. Social innovation strategies could go a long way in meeting the health care needs of disadvantaged social groups that can also serve to empower them in the process.

Social innovations could be of diverse nature and can range from activities that are aimed at newer processes in health care delivery, or building newer products for improving access to health care or through innovative roles and behavioral practices. They could also be newer policies and practices and more often than not, they could be a combination of these aspects.

As quoted in this article, “Universal health coverage emphasizes the value of the community-based delivery of health services to ensure that underserved populations have access to care.”

What are your thoughts on social innovations for PHC based on what you are experiencing in your country and locality? Is enough being done to ensure that everyone can access these services?