Primary health care (PHC) is recognized as the most inclusive, equitable, cost-effective, and efficient approach to enhancing people’s health and well-being, while facilitating universal access to integrated health services, positioning it as the “engine” for driving progress towards 2030 Universal Health Coverage goals.

Integration is a key enabler for people-centered PHC, and can be defined and approached in numerous ways dependent on contextual factors and needs. As countries look towards 2030 goals and health system leaders consider whether and how to advance integrated systems and services, additional practical guidance is needed for how to prepare, design, implement, and monitor integration.

This primer aims to serve as a practical reference guide for policymakers, health system planners, implementers, advocates, and donors as they consider advancing integrated systems and services to strengthen PHC.

Building from a literature review and learnings from PATH’s experience advancing integrated services and systems with government, the private sector, and other key stakeholders, this primer synthesizes practical considerations for approaching integration, including:

• an orientation and framework for approaching the type (“what”) and degree (“how”) of integration, including context-specific examples of operationalizing integration within the domains of service delivery, organizational and professional networks, and health systems.
• guiding principles to consider during planning and implementation.
• a shortlist of tools and resources to assess readiness and adoption of an integrated model.
• measuring integration, with an emphasis on coverage, quality, and cost.
• country spotlights featuring applied integration experience in India, Kenya, Senegal, and Vietnam.