A multisectoral approach to primary health care in Fujian, China

The government of Yongan in Fujian province has developed a multisectoral primary health care program in the rural community of Dahu with the aim of reaching "Health for All" by 1993. In keeping with the spirit of the Alma Ata declaration and the tradition of local self-reliance in China, the program has involved the entire community and is financed almost exclusively at the local level. Community leaders were trained in the importance of primary health care so that they could serve as role models. The project includes school health education, domestic hygiene education, reconstruction of homes to separate the kitchen, toilet and animals pens, road construction to eliminate dust, environmental sanitation, occupational health, and the upgrading of health care facilities. A number of local ordinances regarding construction, zoning and smoking have also been instituted. The results of the project's first year of implementation in two villages indicate that construction of the new road is near completion, and access to clean water is almost universal. Gains are also reported in the percentage of the population receiving physical examinations, the number of health stations that now meet state standards, and the number of homes that are constructed according to the new guidelines.