Universal health coverage and primary health care: the 30 by 2030 campaign

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers primary health care a cornerstone of universal health coverage (UHC) and describes it as an approach to health and well-being centred on the needs and circumstances of individuals, families and communities. Primary health care should address physical, mental and social health and well-being, and is about providing whole-person care for health needs throughout life, not just treating a set of specific diseases.1 We argue that implementing primary health care should focus on broad-based participatory action, including integrated and comprehensive person-centred care, community development and social determinants of health.