Designing a tool for assessing the situation of public-private partnerships in providing primary health care: A case case study in East Azerbaijan

Abstract

Abstract Background: The Astana Declaration on Primary Health Care reiterated that primary health care (PHC) is a cornerstone of a sustainable health system for universal health coverage (UHC) and health-related Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of this study was to design a tool to assess the public-private partnerships in the provision of PHC. Methods: This research is a multidisciplinary study including systematic review and qualitative study. Initially, global evidence was extracted from a variety of public-private partnership models in the delivery of primary health care, policies, strategies and enforcement requirements through a range review. Then, the tool for assessing the status of public-private partnership in providing PHC was designed based on the results of reviewing and interviewing experts in the field of public-private partnership and was validated. Results: In the study review section, 61 studies were included. Results show that most of PPPs projects were implemented to facilitate a provision of and increase access to prevention and treatment services (i.e. tuberculosis, education and health promotions, malaria and HIV/ AIDS services) for certain target groups. The evaluation tool was designed on two parts: demographic information and evaluation of services provided to the target groups. Conclusion: Despite various challenges, PPPs in PHC can facilitate access to health care services, especially in remote areas. In this regard, governments need to consider long-term plans and sustainable policies to initiate public-private partnerships in primary health care delivery, taking into account local needs and contexts.