PHC wns viewed as the approach that could improve the health situation throughout the world. It was defined 11s "essential health cnrc based cm practical. scientifically sound nnd socially acceptable methods and Lechnolo1,,')' made universnlly accessible to individuals and families in Llui! community thrrmgh their full participation and al II cost that the community c;in afford lo maintai11 :1t every stage of their development in the spirit of self reliance and self determination" (\-\THO/UNICEF p. 16). The essential clements of PIIC include: cducntion about pre\'ailing health problems, including methods of prevention and control; promotion of adequate food supply and proper nutrition; immuniz.-1tio11 againsl the major infectious disenscs; provision of safe w11ler and basic saniwtion; maternal and child hc111lh care, including family planning; prevention and control of loc11lly endemic diseases; appropriate treatmen t of common diseases and injuries; and, provision of essential drugs. Although these . were identified decmles. igo, Lhesc are slill reflective oft he needs of most people in the world, particularly in developing countries. Realizing that health and illness are multi-causal and could be addressed only by an integrnted effort, the CHN works with other health workers and those from other government agencies and non-government org:mizations (NGOs). Mullisectoral linkage ensures that the different facets of health problems are addressed. (These concepts 11re elaborated in other chaplt:rs of this hook. ) Appropriate technology is used in addressing people's problems for many reasons. Herbal medicines and acupressu. re which have been proven to be effective,-have the advantage of safety, acceptability and affordability. Three decades after the International Conference on Primary Health Care, access to basic health services has not significantly improved for certain segments of the country's population. Vlhy? The nnswer lies on the political commitment to primary health ·care which "implies more than formal support from the government and community leaders.... For developing cou ntrics in particular, it implies the transfer of a greater share of health resources to the under-served majority of the population. At the same time, there is a need to increase the national health budget until the total population has access to essential health care... '' (WHO/UNJCEF 1978, in Werner and Sanders, p. 18). In addition, many people (health workers and communities) have not fully understood the essence of community participation and have not developed the necessary competencies to participate more effectively. Nurses should do their share in making basic health services available and accessible through advocacy and proper management of health programs and services. Community participation should he ensured in all the phases of the nursing process and other community he. 11th nursing processes. Nurses must be competent on the use ofparlicipntory npproach to engage clients/communi ty portncrs to look, think and act in order to address illness realities and barriers to quality health care, hy enhancing the competence of client-partners to unclcrsland, anal~01. e nnd carry out options to address hopelessness, apathy and helplessness, they can sustnin their motivat_ion to change the current reality in order to out health and health care in their hands (i\lnglaya, 2008). The participatory approach is descdbed in Chapter 5 antl pursued,,;t11 specific examples in Chapter 18 as participatory action research on family empowerment for malaria preventi_on and control inn baranga)' in Abra Province. 31 