EXPERT GROUP ON Primary Health Care

EXPERT GROUP ON Primary Health Care
Background, composition, objectives, activities, documents and members
Background
Within the Northern Dimension area, certain social and economic problems continue to result in high mortality rates, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and the spreading of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Health systems need to be improved, and in particular, the provision and delivery of primary health care requires further development.
Recognizing this need, the NDPHS Committee of Senior Representatives established the Expert Group on Primary Health Care (PHC EG) in September 2004. The Expert Group operates according to its Terms of Reference.
Factsheet
Click here to access quick information about the Expert Group on Primary Health Care's mission, action areas and activities.

Composition
The PHC EG is comprised of high-level experts representing the Partners. These experts are from national ministries and agencies of the Partner Countries, as well as from various bodies with expertise in primary health care, family medicine, health sector financing, and training and referral systems. The Expert Group’s work is guided by a Lead Partner who also provides some financial support to initiate selected activities. Currently, Sweden serves in this Lead Partner capacity.
All eligible stakeholders are welcome to provide input to the PHC EG’s current and future activities.
Role and Objectives
The central role of the Expert Group on Primary Health Care is to act as the focal point for national inputs from the Partner Countries and Organisations on issues concerning primary health care. The Expert Group’s focus within these fields is on modern primary health care, systems and human resources development, public health and disease prevention, as well as service provision.
Within these focal areas, the Expert Group on Primary Health Care the objectives of:
Working towards the inclusion of policies that emphasize primary health care as a priority issue on political agendas;
Supporting coordinated and collaborative efforts to improve health service systems and health sector reforms (reorienting of heath care systems);
Facilitating networking and partnership-building among all relevant stakeholders.
Activities

The Expert Group’s core activities follow from its annual action plan, where they are listed in full (read the PHC EG Action Plan for 2008). Presently, the Group’s main activities include:
Developing a framework for modern primary health;
Promoting systems development, disease prevention, and the improvement of service provision;
Cooperating with other NDPHS Expert Groups, including the HIV/AIDS and SIHLWA Expert Groups, as well as with the Council of the Network of Public Health Training around the Baltic Sea;
Contributing to implementing the NDPHS Project Database and Pipeline;
Initiating projects aimed at supporting the development of primary health care within the EG’s focus areas;
Searching for new sources for funding.
Meetings
The Expert Group on Primary Health Care holds approximately 2 meetings per year. Specific information about current and past meetings, including meeting documents and minutes can be accessed on the respective Expert Group meeting webpages.
Calendar
View all Calendar events of relevance to the PHC EG. Learn more about other sections of our calendar.
Progress Reports
Each year the Expert Group on Primary Health Care prepares a progress report on its activities. These reports follow the Reporting elements for the NDPHS Expert Groups pgrogress report and are submitted to each autumn CSR meeting. The progress reports take stock of achievements made, describe enabling factors, strengths, obstacles and constraints regarding the Group’s work, and also present various recommendations to the CSR and/or PAC.
Further Information
In 2008 the PHC EG developed two fact sheets, one of them presenting basic information about the the Expert Group's mission, action areas and activities (fact sheet 6/2008) and the other one presenting key findings of the Expert Group's thematic report (fact sheet 7/2008). They both are a part of the NDPHS folder holding 11 fact sheets.
Visit also the NDPHS Database, which provides a growing number of papers (publications, newsletters, etc.) and projects, dealing with primary health care issues. It also provides a pool of organisations and experts, which have been working in the area of primary health care. The database contains four sections. By clicking the links below, you will gain direct access to primary health care activities and expertise in the NDPHS Database, sorted by:
· Papers
· Projects
· Persons
· Organisations
Please note that you can also submit your own information on primary health care activities to the database (read more).
Members
Chair
Dr Goran Carlsson
Director
East Europe Committee of the Swedish Health Care Community
Erstag. 1F
SE - 116 28 Stockholm
SWEDEN
Phone: +46730508995
Fax: +4686187660
E-mail: goran.carlsson@oek.se
Co-Chair
Mr Zbigniew Król Public Health InstituteJagiellonian University Grzegorzecka 20 PL-31-531 Kraków, Poland Phone: +48 12 4291570 Fax: +48 12 4312144 E-mail: http://zbigniew.krol@ziz.com.pl/ International Technical Advisor
Mr Arnoldas JurgutisFamily Doctor, Assoc prof. Public Health Department, Klaipeda UniversityH. Manto 84, LT-922-531 Klaipeda, LithuaniaPhone: +370 698 36674 Fax: +370 46 398560 E-mail: jurgutis@klaipeda.aiva.lt
Task Manager

Mr. Mikhail Dotsenko, PhD, prof.
Head of the Family Medicine Department,
State Medical Mechnikov Academy, Saint-Peterburg
Komendantsky 32-1-336
197373, Saint-Peterburg
Russian Federation
Phone: +7 812 2251521
Fax: +7 812 7401524
e-mail: dotsenkom@mail.ru

Partner Representatives
ESTONIAMrs Heli PalusteHead of the Health Policy Department
Ministry of Social and Health Affairs Gonsiori 29 EE-150 27 Tallinn, Estonia Phone: +372 6269127 Fax: +372 6992209 E-mail: mailto:ursel.kedars@eesti.ee


FINLANDMr Simo Kokko, M.D., Ph.D Development manager National Institute for Health and Welfare
P.O.Box 220 FIN-00531 HelsinkiFinland Phone: +358 503 620 446 Fax: +358 9 396 72 417 E-mail: mailto:Simo.Kokko@stakes.fiMs Paula Vainiomäki, M.D. University of Turku Lemminkäisenk. 1 FIN-20014 TurkuFinland Phone: +358-40-7010014 Fax: +358-2-333 84 39 E-mail: paula.vainiomaki@utu.fi


LATVIAMr Aigars Meizitis
Senior expertState Agency of Compulsory Health Insurance Cesu 31LV-1012 RigaLatvia Phone: +371 67043780Fax +371 67043701E-mail: mailto:biruta.kleina@vm.gov.lv


LITHUANIAMrs. Egle Savuliene Chief Specialist Family Health DivisionMinistry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania Vilniaus str. 33 LT-01506 VilniusLithuania Phone: +370 5 2604895Fax: +370 5 2661402E-mail: mailto:genovaite.paulauskiene@sam.ltDr. Ana DzikevicChief Specialist, State Patient FundKalvariju 147, LT-08221 VilniusLithuaniaPhone: +370 5 2364175 Fax: +370 5 2364111 E-mail: mailto:rita.pazdrazdyte@sam.lt


NORWAYMs Beate Søholt Lupton Deputy medical officer, County Governor of Finnmark
NO-9800 VadsøNorway Phone: +47 78950551Fax: +47 78950389E-mail: blu@fmfi
Mr Toralf Hasvold, prof.
Director of the Center of Integrated Care and Telemedicine
University Hospital in North Norway, Tromsø
Varden 17
9018 Tromso
Norway
Phone: +47 91620240
Fax: +47 77644831
e-mail: toralf.hasvold@ism.uit.no

POLANDDr. Zbigniew Król Public Health Institute Jagiellonian University Grzegorzecka 20 PL-31-531 KrakówPoland Phone: +48 12 429 15 70 Fax: +48 12 431 21 44 E-mail: zbigniew.krol@ziz.com.pl