Health Development and Primary Health Care

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
The peoples and countries of the Third World are struggling to overcome the effects of centuries of colonial dependency and unequal world relationships. These effects can be seen clearly in the area of human health. For example, of the 1978 world total of 17 million early childhood deaths (i.e., those under five years of age) around 97% took place in the Third World (1). If all the countries of the world had the same early childhood mortality rates as those of Northern Europe there would have been only 2 million such deaths. The relationship between such appaling health conditions health conditions and wider social structures is highlighted in the Six World Health Situation Report (1973-1977), prepared by the World Health Organization (2).