Health-MDGs Conundrum in Africa and Countdown to 2015 : Does Primary Health Care System Provide a Way Out?

The possibility of attaining the benchmarks specified under the health-related aspects of the Millennium Development Goal (health-MDGs) in Africa come 2015 ranges from slim to nil. Atrocious health indices in the vast majority of countries in the region provide the starkest proof. This paper blames the present state of affairs on ill-informed strategic choices by the region’s policy makers, the worst critical being near-total neglect of primary health care (PHC). This paper argues that a reversal in approach is the key to positioning the region en route to achieving the health-MDGs. The paper identifies specific interventions and mechanisms that must be integrated into the process