An analysis of the meaning of integrated Primary Health Care from the KwaZulu- Natal Primary Health Care context

Tel.: (031)373-2032 Fax:(031)373-2039 E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: Curationis 32 (2): 31-37 In South Africa, integration o f services policy was enacted in 1996 with the aim o f increasing health service utilization by increasing accessibility and availability o f all health care services at Primary Health Care (PHC) level. Integration o f PHC services continues to be seen as a pivotal strategy towards the achievement o f the national goals o f transformation o f health services, and the attainment o f a comprehensive and seamless public health system. Although the drive behind the integration of PHC services was to improve accessibility o f services to the community, the problem however, arises in the implementation o f integrated PHC (IPHC) as there is no agreed upon understanding o f what this phenomenon means in the South African context. To date no research studies have been reported on the meaning o f the integration o f PHC services. Hence, there is a need for shared views on this phenomenon in order to facilitate an effective implementation o f this approach.