Ghana: Selective versus Comprehensive Primary Health Care

Abstract

The furore which surrounded the debate over selective versus comprehensive primary health care (PHC) world wide appears to have died down. After 10 years of PHC implementation in Ghana, however, it is imperative that we revisit the issue in the Ghanaian context. This is because the choice either way has implications for programme planning, implementation, financing and the achievement of stated health policy goals in Ghana. Here I shall attempt to analyse the issues involved in Selective and Comprehensive PHC, outline the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and suggest a compromise strategy in the Ghanaian context.