Achieving Global Health Goals by Strengthening Primary Health Care

Last month, world leaders came together to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)--a new global development agenda that sets ambitious targets, such as eliminate poverty, achieve gender equality and end hunger globally.

Now, comes the hard work: figuring out exactly how we achieve them.

At least one of these new goals--SDG3, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all--has a clear action: strengthen our health systems. This begins with improving primary health care, the foundation of health systems and the main source of health services in people's communities.

As a family doctor in Australia, I understand the importance of this all too well. My team and I strive each day to deliver the best quality care to our patients, with the goal of not only improving the health of every individual, but of our communities and nation as a whole.

At the same time, I often have unanswered questions. Are some people in my community missing out on these services, and if so, why? What steps should my practice take in order to maximize our impact on overall health and well-being?