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Mission and objectives of PRIMAFAMED

Mission

PRIMAFAMED is a 2 year project financed by EDULINK-ACP-EU. The project intends to improve the health of the population of Africa and to reach equity in health care delivery by strengthening community-oriented primary health care. Primafamed is coordinated from Ghent University and tries to support African universities in their set up or improvement of primary health care education. African family physicians are being trained to provide primary health care of good quality, accessible and affordable for all. PRIMAFAMED gives support in capacity building, content development and monitoring of the postgraduate training in family medicine. It embraces the principle of South-South cooperation, encouraging the sharing of unique knowledge and wisdom between African institutions.

Objectives

Overall objectives:
(1) To contribute to the health of communities through accessible, responsive and quality health systems in African countries by educating and training family physicians who provide interdisciplinary, primary health care services, oriented towards the needs of individuals, their families and the communities in which they live.
(2) To plan, develop, and strengthen academic departments or units of family medicine that offer family medicine training at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Specific objectives:
(1) To develop a comprehensive vision and strategy, within the specific context of African countries, that delineates the integral contribution of family medicine and the primary health care team to an equitable and quality primary health care system. 
(2) To establish a specific institutional network between departments and units of family medicine and primary health care (FM/ PHC) in all African countries to stimulate South-South cooperation.

The expected results of the action are:

  • An improved institutional and administrative functioning in terms of policy, management, planning and administrative capacity building of the participating departments and units of FM/ PHC.
  • Improved relevance of FM/ PHC under- and postgraduate training in the regional context.
  • Research output with respect to curriculum development in family medicine.
  • Improved FM/ PHC for the community in all partner countries.

The PRIMAFAMED project focuses on the sustainable development of primary health care and is in line with the strategic plans and goals of the ministries of health in partner countries. The governments of all partner countries are exploring or implementing the district health approach, and have expressed a willingness to improve accessibility of health care, especially in underserved areas. In addition to focusing on marginalized communities, the project will take care to address issues of equity at all levels including gender, social class and race.