Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care'International Nurses Day celebrated at AKU

Nurses have a role to play in primary health care and in encouraging people to participate in addressing common health issues and in accessing health services. This is why the International Nurses Day 2008 theme of Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Primary Health Care is important for Pakistan. Aga Khan University, through its School of Nursing and the University Hospital's Division of Nursing Services, celebrated this day by focusing on the importance of community health nursing and community health projects.

Nurses working in an emergency room, health centre, outpatient department, nursing home, school, nursing school, or in research, helping communities and individuals deal with health challenges are all involved in primary health care (PHC). They are in a position to facilitate and advocate for communities to take action to improve health within their own neighbourhood. With primary health care a top priority on the global health agenda, the International Council of Nurses is calling for greater nursing involvement in PHC as the key strategy to achieving universal access and better health for the world's people. Health care has to be brought closer to the homes and workplaces of the people and communities who are most in need of it. Effective strategies include home visits, immunisation, maternal and child health and community education.

The year 2008 also marks 30 years since the goal of universal access to health services through primary health care was accepted by the World Health Organization and member states in the Declaration of Alma­Ata, which highlighted “gross inequality in the health status of the people particularly between developed and developing countries as well as within countries.”

In Pakistan, quality PHC delivery needs to be given precedence. The nursing force across the country needs to be strengthened both in numbers and in the knowledge and skills to support communities in efforts to access quality health services at their doorstep.

For further information, please contact:

• Rida Turabi, Senior Media Executive, at 486 2931 or rida.turabi@aku.edu;
• Hassaan Akhter, Media Executive, at 486 2927 or hassaan.akhter@aku.edu;
• Fabeha Pervez, Media Executive, at 486 2925 or fabeha.pervez@aku.edu.

Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University
Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi-74000
Fax: 92 21 493 4294, 493 2095