| AUTHOR | Cora Walsh with Nicola Jones |
| ORGANIZATION | UNICEF |
| TYPE | Thematic Report |
| DATE | 2009 |
| TOPIC | Child-sensitive social protection |
| LANGUAGE | English |
The equitable provision of affordable and accessible primary health care is central to human development, critical to meeting the MDGs and a basic human right. Health care forms a cornerstone of social protection as a protective, preventative and promotive element of hte livelihood and well-being of vulnerable populations. Attention to equity dimension of health care is especially important in West and Central Africa, in view of the region's widespread poverty, extremely high under-five and maternal mortality rates, low levels of basic health care utilisation and serious obstacles in accessing care, especially among rural and lower quintile population groups.
