Prior to the 2004 Philippines Measles Follow up Elimination Campaign, measles caused an estimated 6000 deaths among Filipino children. After the campaign, cases and deaths decreased by 96.4% and 99.2%, respectively. The Nationwide Rapid Coverage Assessments, with an extensive system of feedback, was the prime factor in reaching the under-immunized areas.

The availability of multiple data sources and new methods of estimation resulted in a more accurate estimate of the HIV population in India in 2006. A critical review of the data and methods used in the past and current estimation processes is offered in this article.

The Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 on Primary Health Care together with the slogan of Health for All by 2000 AD is considered one of the most significant public health initiatives of the 20th century. The 30th anniversary of the declaration provides an opportune time to revisit its history and arrive at some fresh perspectives.

A government which believes that medical education and healthcare are best provided by the private sector is deliberately starving government hospitals of funds. Until a clear plan to ensure health for all is in place and the poor demand medical care as a fundamental right, public health services will remain skewed and unjust.

It is possible today to voice a proposal to take the idea of primary health care, stated in the bold language of the Alma-Ata declaration 30 years ago, forward and work towards making it a reality.

Upon an examination of the development of health services in India, it is evident that the primary health care strategy was a logical outcome and justification for health policies that were (and are) antithetical to the principle of social justice.