The New Primary Health Care in Fiji Its Impact and Implications on the Practitioner in an Indigenous Setting – A Case Study in 2001

ABSTRACT

Health promotion is a process of enabling people to take control and improve their health. The concept was adopted by the Ministry of Health in Fiji in 1997, and gave birth to what is referred to as the “new primary health care” – the strengthening of the health promotion capacity of the existing primary health care system. Ths study aims to describe the impact of new primary health care on existing primary health care practitioners in Fijian villages, with the purpose of drawing implications on the processes that may be useful in other indigenous settings in Fiji. A case study was undertaken to reveal the impact of health promotion in a localized indigenous setting. The case demonstrated that indigenous Fijian settings are communally oriented and are affcted by three systems – tradition, Christianity and the Westminster systems of governance – all of which are potential platforms for health promotion. The study depicts that the major impact of the new primary health care on the practitioner pertains to the need to acquire health promotion knowledge, attitude and practice, and related understanding of community development and qualitative research. The acquisition of these knowledge and skills may then enable the practitioner to strengthen the health promotion capacity of his/her primary health care practice. In this way, an integrated and appropriate practice model has more chance of evolving and health outcomes will follow.