Used in 6 countries (South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Brazil, Nigeria and Ethiopia)
In 2014, JJ竞技 and the Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU), University of Cape Town, formed an international health partnership to equip frontline primary healthcare workers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Together, we globalised the South African Practical Approach to Care Kit (PACK) programme to make it available to LMICs around the world.
In partnership with
Used in 6 countries (South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Brazil, Nigeria and Ethiopia)
More than 30,000 health workers trained
185,765 guides distributed
42 PACK guide editions
9 pragmatic trials
More than 500 symptoms and conditions commonly seen in primary healthcare
Healthcare workers in rural and underserved communities often struggle to deliver the best primary care. Outdated clinical guidance, lack of training and support, and a lack of infrastructure restrict their ability to correctly diagnose and manage their patients.
The PACK clinical guides strengthen primary healthcare (PHC) systems by providing clinical decision support for clinicians based on WHO guidelines and the latest updates from the JJ竞技 Knowledge centre. The guide content is formatted as user-friendly algorithms and checklists, and is standardised and able to be localised and translated for in-country use. Content covers everything from symptom evaluation and diagnosis to the management of the most commonly seen acute and chronic conditions in PHC. The guides are available in both print and digital eBook formats.
The clinicians who are trained to use PACK are all frontline primary healthcare clinicians, including doctors, nurses, midwives, health officers, clinical officers, community health workers (CHWs) and community health extension workers (CHEWs).
Dr Colette Gunst, Family Physician: Comprehensive Health: Cape Winelands District, Western Cape Government Health uses PACK in South Africa,
PACK has become, and is, an invaluable tool we use daily to improve the health of our patients.”
In Adamawa state, Nigeria, PACK is ensuring patients receive the right medication, as one healthcare worker explains:
Before PACK I used to prescribe 6-7 drugs per patient, but now I prescribe only 1-2 drugs per patient”
“PACK is a game-changer for our nurses. They used to spend their time doing very bureaucratic work and not seeing any patients, but now they are doing more clinical procedures, which is good for the population.”
Dr Ronaldo Zonta, General Practitioner, Brazil
The frontline healthcare workers in Ondo State, Nigeria, wrote and recorded this song to express how PACK is improving the care they provide for patients. PACK benefits all primary healthcare workers, from community nurses and mid-tier workers, to clinical officers, midwives and doctors.
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