June 01, 2022
A strong Primary Healthcare (PHC) system helps meet the health needs for the entire community. A PHC system can only be strong if its comprehensive, free, and accessible to all, especially those who are the most vulnerable. In Jordan, the need exists to improve PHC considering the country’s circumstances: increasing population growth, refugee influx, epidemiological transition, and economic challenges.
In response to this need, the Ministry of Health is planning to implement the Family Health Model (FHM), an innovative approach that creates a partnership between physicians at the PHC, family medicine physicians, nurses, community health workers, and other health service providers. The FHM brings various health care providers, collectively referred to as the Family Health Team (FHT) to coordinate the highest possible quality of care for patients. The FHT works according to three main principles: person-centeredness where holistic services are emphasized as opposed to focus on disease-specific care; comprehensiveness where prevention accompanies treatment; and continuity where proper follow up is ensured.
The Ministry of Health has identified some priorities to introduce a more comprehensive, Jordan-specific FHM that is also informed by best international practices. The Ministry is focusing on the FHT and is working to develop a roadmap to modernize and strengthen PHC. This work is being done in collaboration with EMPHNET which is supporting the Primary Healthcare Reform Roadmap that will ultimately guide enhancements within the FHT, with a focus on services in maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, and prevention and control of infectious diseases.
The technical committee responsible for developing this roadmap held their first meeting in Amman between May 30 and 31, 2022. The committee comprises members from the Ministry of Health, private sector, academic institutions, the Jordanian Nursing Council, and experts in health systems. To develop the first draft of the roadmap, members discussed the expected FHT comprehensive package of services, role, and competencies in light of the burden of disease in Jordan and the available resources.