PHC operates at the intersection of community health, epidemic prevention, and climate resilience. PHC facilities are crucial frontlines for outbreak detection and response. However, many PHC systems face significant infrastructure challenges that hinder their effectiveness.

While there is recognition of the important role of PHC systems in preparedness, many lack the necessary infrastructure for epidemic readiness and climate resilience. In many resource-constrained settings, there are not enough PHC facilities, there are challenges with geographic distribution of facilities, and PHC systems do not have the required infrastructure to deliver a comprehensive package needed to achieve universal health coverage.

There has been a focus on climate resilience at the tertiary level, yet, the number of PHC facilities (>2 million globally) underscores the importance of investing in climate resilience at the PHC level.