Strengthening primary care in rural India: Lessons from Indian and global evidence and experience

India has made significant advances in health of its populations over more than a decade, reducing the gap between rural and urban areas and between the rich and the poor. Huge disparities, however, still remain, and access to healthcare in rural areas remains a huge challenge. A one-day National Consultation, nested within the World Rural Health Conference, was held to share learnings from experiences and evidence of rural primary healthcare within India and from across the world, to identify elements that may guide improvements in healthcare in rural India. From discussions, this article summarizes the evidence on what works for rural primary care, and then provides recommendations for strengthening healthcare in rural India.