Support to Primary Health Care in Transitional Situations: Lessons Learned from the Field

摘要

In a war context, a transition period begins when the guns fall silent following a ceasefire or a peace agreementis signed. In a natural disaster context, it starts as soon as the search and rescue activities are over. Progression from theemergency to the transition phase is often a tedious process, involving a complex emergency context, unforeseenadditional and emerging needs and the presence/withdrawal of stakeholders. Humanitarian aid commonly described inmost emergencies often persists during the transition phase. It requires them to make a complete shift in its approach,planning, financing, performance monitoring and evaluation. In transition situations, the key is to develop national andinternational partnership in respect to primary health centres, with a clearly-defined, realistic and participative publichealth methodology. This paper, a review of some key humanitarian guidelines and peer reviewed studies, is presentedwith a methodological approach with a succession of practical questions, answers, and documented case examples andtargets central, provincial and district health facilities and national and international public health workers facing thechallenges of a fragmented and fragile post-emergency health service network.