Understanding women's Involvement in Primary Health Care Khayelitsha

Women are the principle providers of their families when it comes to issues of health care, even though their health needs and efforts are neglected. The contributions that they make to health development seem to be undervalued, and their working conditions ignored. Societies depend heavily on women as role players in the welfare of their families and of national economics together with their physical well-being which determines the ability to be productive. The study has provided an overview of the experiences of women concerning primary health care and the quality of service in Nolungile PHC Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Primary health care (PHC) forms an integral part both of the country¿s health system and the overall social and economic development of the community. Central to the PHC approach is full community participation in the planning, provision, control and monitoring of services. Priority has to be given to the improvement of women¿s social and economic status. A much neglected perspective in health issues is that, a number of questions arise from the provision of PHC. Does PHC rely on the contribution of women and if so, why women?