Integrated Health Care System: Meeting Global Health Care Needs in the 21st Century

Abstract

The Integrated Health Care System is presented as an appropriate system capable of helping meet the global health care needs in a satisfactory manner. It is a system that consciously targets and harnesses the people's links with biodiversity for health reasons. It is an integrative and positive tool blending the health, economic and biological and cultural diversity conservation needs of people and their area all at the same time. The results of a study on health care conducted from 1993 to 1997 at the 'Clinique de Manongarivo', a pilot rural health centre in northwest Madagascar practicing the Integrated Health Care System approach, are presented as evidence of the viability of this system. In conclusion, a call is made for re-thinking and re-acting of health policies to implement the system in other countries.