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Primary health Care, or PHC, refers to "essential health care" that is based on "scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology", which make universal health care accessible to all individuals and families in a community. It is through their full participation and at a cost that the community and the country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. PHC is a holistic system in which all aspects of health care are taken into account and it is accessible. In other words, PHC is an approach to health beyond the traditional health care system that focuses on health equity-producing social policy. PHC includes all areas that play a role in health, such as access to health services, environment and lifestyle. Thus, primary healthcare and public health measures, taken together, may be considered as the cornerstones of universal health systems. PHC is not only essential healthcare, but also an approach to health care that is based on a certain group of people and focuses on their needs and personal preferences. Rather than focusing on a specific disease, PHC is equally based on current treatments as well as preventative measures.

The World Health Organization, or WHO, elaborates on the goals of PHC as defined by three major categories, "empowering people and communities, multisectoral policy and action; and primary care and essential public health functions as the core of integrated health services[1]." Based on these definitions, PHC can not only help an individual after being diagnosed with a disease or disorder, but actively prevent such issues by understanding the individual as a whole... If primary health care is renewed appropriately,

This ideal model of healthcare was adopted in the declaration of the International Conference on Primary Health Care held in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan in 1978 (known as the "Alma Ata Declaration"), and became a core concept of the World Health Organization's goal of Health for all. The Alma-Ata Conference mobilized a "Primary Health Care movement" of professionals and institutions, governments and civil society organizations, researchers and grassroots organizations that undertook to tackle the "politically, socially and economically unacceptable" inequalities in all countries. There were many factors that inspired PHC; a prominent example is the Doctors of China.↵

PHC and Mental Health

Some jurisdictions apply PHC principles in planning and managing their healthcare services for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of common mental health conditions at local clinics and organizing the referral of more complicated mental health problems to more appropriate levels of mental health care. The Ministerial Conference, which took place in Alma Ata, made the decision that measures should be taken to support mental health in regard to primary health care. However, there was no such documentation of this event in the Alma Ata Declaration. These discrepancies caused an inability for proper funding and although was worthy of being a part of the declaration, changing it would call for another conference.

Individuals with severe mental health disorders are found to live much shorter lives than those without, anywhere from ten to twenty-five-year reduction in life expectancy when compared to those without (World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/mental_health/management/info_sheet.pdf ). Cardiovascular diseases in particular are one of the leading deaths with individuals already suffering from severe mental health disorders. General health services such as PHC is one approach to integrating an improved access to such health services that could help treat already existing mental health disorders as well as prevent other disorders that could arise simultaneously as the preexisting condition. If mental health disorders continue to go without being treated, the already high mortality rate linked to mental health disorders.