Needs for Primary Care Training in Post-Conflict Communities

Summary: Primary care is the gateway to any healthcare system. Paradoxically, where the need is greatest – particularly in fragile states and conflict-affected communities – so, too, is the shortage. Providers serving in these circumstances face a wide range of clinical problems across various age groups, but with limited resources to draw upon. And there are precious few educators to prepare these practitioners for the daunting tasks they face. Drawing from primary care program development in diverse communities, this session will define primary care needs, identify primary care providers, address problems and challenges in training, examine assumptions that can hinder healthcare system building, and discuss how to implement and monitor sustainable interventions based on primary care principles.