1978: a good year, but a vintage past its best

This article is intended to stimulate debate. Where does public health planning in developing countries need to go if it is to focus on the challenges of meeting the health needs of the poor and increasing the accountability and performance of health services? The article concludes that Alma Ata vintage public health planning has frozen many health ministries in a non-monetarised world. The effects, are systematic obstacles to using many technologies available in other sectors to improve accountability and performance through better business planning and control. High time for an Alma Ata II Conference.