New on PIE
EFPC Advisory Board member Sarah Burgmann is asking the following question at the Interprofessional Primary Care Research topic on PIE:

During my research on PHC reform as innovation - implementing multiprofessional teams etc. - I found a lot of evidence for the need of a PHC strategy established by the integration of all involved partners based on a Systems-Thinking-Approach. Following this effective communication for providers, patients and all institutions is essential. 
The process of the ongoing PHC-reform in Austria is considerably inhibited by insufficient communication and information. 
Are there best practice examples for effective communications strategies and special measures accompanying a PHC reform for different target groups in other countries?
I am looking forward to your experiences and recommendations!

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Statement on Mental Health and the COVID19 pandemic by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe
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We expect to see a larger number of people facing more severe mental health challenges in the coming months as the reality of this experience takes hold. In acknowledgement of the growing crisis, I am calling for concerted action to invest in stronger mental health care services, particularly those that bring care to the community or utilize digital care to reduce obstacles to vital assistance.

Study on the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak on informal/family/unpaid carers across Europe
This survey, promoted by Eurocarers - the European Association Working for Carers, is targeted at all informal/family/unpaid carers of older, frail or disabled people across Europe who are willing to share their experience during the COVID-19 crisis.
The aim of this initiative is indeed to document and analyse how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted on informal/family/unpaid carers’ health, caregiving situation, support networks, access to health and social services, working status, work-life balance and finances – among other aspects. It also seeks to collect carers’ views and recommendations on how to better support you, as an informal carer, in times of a pandemic.

Now available in the following languages:
English - Finlandsvensk - Finnish - French - German - Italian - Swedish
 

We encourage you to fill it in and to share it!

Meet the 100+ outstanding Nurses and Midwives
To mark the end of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, the WHO is honored to unveil the 2020 List of 100+ Outstanding Women Nurses and Midwives. This partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Nursing Now, International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and Women in Global Health (WGH),  features the achievements and contributions of nurses and midwives from 43 countries and across 6 global regions, to recognize these women and the millions of nurses and midwives around the world.
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Midwives and nurses—the overwhelming majority of whom are women—are the backbone of primary health systems. Their care during this monumental year has had an impact far beyond the facilities in which they work.

WHO EMRO hosted a virtual webinar to mark UHC Day about primary health care in collaboration with UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, UNHCR, and Wonca.
Watch the recording: Primary Health Care for UHC

Apart Together survey. Preliminary overview of refugees and migrants self-reported impact of COVID-19
Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a highly negative impact on the living and working conditions of refugees and migrants reveals a new WHO study, launched today on International Migrants Day.
More than 30,000 refugees and migrants from different regions around the world participated in the first ever survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental and physical health as well as their ability to work and support themselves. They were asked to grade the impact on a scale from 0 (nothing at all) to 10 (extreme). The average impact assessment reported was 7.5.

Measuring Primary Health Care Performance
Many countries have identified primary health care as an urgent priority, but lack comprehensive data to pinpoint specific weaknesses, understand their causes, and strategically direct resources to address them.
PHCPI is championing new ways of measuring primary health care.

Public-private partnerships in primary health care: a scoping review
Nasrin Joudyian, Leila Doshmangir, Mahdi Mahdavi, Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi & Vladimir Sergeevich Gordeev 
The Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care reiterated that PHC is a cornerstone of a sustainable health system for universal health coverage (UHC) and health-related Sustainable Development Goals. It called for governments to give high priority to PHC in partnership with their public and private sector organisations and other stakeholders. Each country has a unique path towards UHC, and different models for public-private partnerships (PPPs) are possible. The goal of this paper is to examine evidence on the use of PPPs in the provision of PHC services, reported challenges and recommendations.

Successful implementation of integrated care in Slovenian primary care
Antonija Poplas Susič and Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš; Slovenian Journal of Public Health | Volume 60: Issue 1 | Published online: 31 Dec 2020
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According to the recent report on integrated primary care in Slovenia by WHO, Slovenia is a notable exception regarding developing effective primary care systems. The country has an impressive primary care which performs very well. This could be partly attributed also to the successful integration of public health and primary care. Such way of work has contributed to an impressive decline in the burden of disease due to non-communicable diseases and a rapid increase in life expectancy at birth.

Addressing barriers to primary health-care services for non-communicable diseases in the African Region
Azeb Tesema et al; Bull World Health Organ 2020;98:906–908; Perspectives
The World Health Organization (WHO) Package of essential non-communicable disease interventions (known as WHO PEN) was designed for the prevention, early detection, treatment and care of diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors. The package is a well-established, cost-effective and action-oriented strategy and the recommended interventions can be considered first-line options for improving the integration of management of non-communicable diseases into primary health care.

Palliative Care. A Vital Component of COVID-19 Care
Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein, and Mekdes Tsega; Commonwealth Fund 2020
A recent JAMA “Viewpoint” outlines the barriers to providing good end-of-life care during the pandemic and what policies are needed to promote symptom relief and comfort for patients. The Commonwealth Fund’s Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein, and Mekdes Tsega highlighted in a recent feature article how palliative care providers have enabled sick and frail people to shelter safely at home and have stepped in to support COVID-19–positive patients and their clinicians in ICUs.
While hospital programs are the most common, community-based palliative care programs — that is, those outside of hospital settings — offer support to patients coping with serious and often progressive medical conditions and serve as a complement to primary and specialty care.

Change through Exchange. Exploring the role of international exchange in organisational development of care organisations 
Thesis by Jolanda Asmoredjo; Tilburg, 22 December 2020
 
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The study showed that both the between-group and within-group aspect of an international exchange can greatly add to the potential for learning and organisational change. The within-team dynamic can provide internal motivation and a safe, supportive environment to engage in activities outside one’s normal day-to-day routine and comfort zone, thereby increasing individuals’ ability to change. The composition, degree of effectiveness in teamwork, leadership, and whether an objective was set for the exchange, determines the team’s ability to collectively come to a clear problema definition and/or policy suggestion or formulation.

Decade of healthy ageing: Baseline report
Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.
At least 14% of all people aged 60 years and over - more than 142 million people - are currently unable to meet all their basic daily needs according to the Baseline report for the Decade of Healthy Ageing, released by the World Health Organization today.
The Baseline report brings together data available for measuring healthy ageing, defined by WHO as "the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age." Optimizing "functional ability" is the goal of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, which begins in 2021 and addresses five interrelated abilities that all older people should enjoy: the ability to meet basic needs; to continue to learn and make decisions; to be mobile; to build and maintain relationships; and to contribute to society. The Baseline report presents the experience of countries which have been successful in starting healthy ageing initiatives in each of these areas, such as Ireland, Mexico and Viet Nam. It also stresses that older adults must be engaged throughout.

Islamic Republic of Iran tackles COVID-19 by enhancing primary health care
Universal Health Coverage Partnership; 5 January, 2021
The Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the first countries in the world to experience a rapid progression of COVID-19. With a strong understanding of the vital role of communities and local engagement with health, the government designed its national COVID-19 response around its well-established primary health care (PHC) system.
"Each home one health post”—the national flagship PHC programme—was initiated by the Minister of Health and started shortly before the pandemic. It is now being rolled out as a major component to raise population awareness on keeping safe from COVID-19 and to improve the population’s access to services, with particular focus on people who are most at risk.
Across the country, comprehensive health centres provide the first point of care for people. This PHC network in urban and rural areas has provided essential health services and a strong response to COVID-19 using triage to reduce the load and burden on hospitals.
PHC staff follow up on suspected cases in the communities by phone on a routine basis, including the most vulnerable people. All PHC workers follow national protocols on home care, including midwives and community health workers who provide remote care and counselling to pregnant mothers.

Reasons for (not) participating in a community‐based health promotion program for low‐income multi‐problem households in the Netherlands: A qualitative study
Nagelhout, Gera E.; Abidi, Latifa; Vries, Hein; Health & Social Care in the Community, Volume 29, Number 1, 1 January 2021, pp. 241-249(9)
People living in low‐income multi‐problem households may benefit from participation in a community‐based health promotion program. Yet, low participation rates are often a problem.
Back2Balance is a health promotion program for low‐income multi‐problem households from Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Combining health promotion with social interaction motivated participants to participate in the Back2Balance program. Yet, both participants and non‐participants experienced many barriers for participation, some of which were related to their multi‐problem situation.