PHC Policy Tracker

PATH’s PHC in Policies Tracker is an online dashboard consolidating national-level primary health care (PHC) policies across low- and middle-income countries. The tracker maps and analyses the extent to which these policies align with global PHC guidance (covering themes such as governance, financing, models of care, equity, data/digital, infrastructure, social accountability). Our team is collaborating with PATH, the Gates Foundation, and country policymakers, especially in Francophone Africa and South America, to expand coverage, identify key PHC policies, and extract data systematically.

The Problem

Many countries have PHC or UHC-oriented policy documents, but there is no centralised, comparable repository to understand how well those policies embody core elements of strong primary care. Where detailed PHC policies exist, their content and emphasis vary widely, and critical domains (such as equity or digital integration) are often weakly addressed. Without structured comparative analysis, policymakers and advocates lack clear benchmarks and insight into policy gaps or priorities.

Approach

Members of our team support PATH in increasing country coverage of the tracker. We partner with local health ministries and stakeholders to locate relevant policy documents, map them into a standard taxonomy, and code their alignment with a set of PHC policy domains. We invest effort in sourcing hard-to-find documents (especially in Francophone settings and Latin America), ensuring consistency of coding, and building capacity among local teams for sustainability.

Impact

Expanding and refining the PHC Policy Tracker will sharpen global and national understanding of PHC policy landscapes. Policymakers, donors and civil society will gain evidence to benchmark their own policies, identify weak areas (e.g. equity, data, financing), and inform advocacy for stronger PHC systems. Over time, this work helps shift attention from rhetoric to policy substance, supporting more strategic reform and accountability in primary care.