Reflections on family medicine and primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa

This editorial arose from a panel presentation and discussion at the fifth World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) Africa conference in Pretoria, 2017. Academic family physicians from Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Nigeria described the primary healthcare systems of their respective countries using a standardised template. This template included a country profile, structure of PHC, workforce in PHC, functioning of PHC, benefits of PHC, barriers to PHC, impact on health and lessons learnt. We have aimed to provide a systematic analysis of content and comments to highlight key areas with substantive common findings. Specific countries are mentioned as examples to illustrate the main points. A different group of countries from Africa is invited to present at each regional conference from East, West and Southern Africa. There have been similar events conducted throughout the world in the past five years, for example, in the eastern Mediterranean, Asia-Pacific, South Asia, South America and Europe with the goal of understanding the state of primary healthcare.