Perception of Healthcare Workers about the Role of Primary Healthcare (PHC) in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Purpose: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are essential to enhance worldwide health and well-being. Primary Health Care (PHC) is pivotal in achieving these goals. Understanding the HCWs' views on the importance of the role of PHC in achieving the SDGs is essential for the successful execution of health policies and initiatives. This research aims to explore the perception of healthcare workers in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia about the role of PHC in achieving SDG. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized to select 382 HCWs employed in primary healthcare centers in Jeddah, using convenient sampling via an online survey. A self-administered valid questionnaire was used to evaluate the perception of the role of PHC in SDG. Data were saved and analyzed utilizing SPSS Ver.26 software. Along with descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were employed to examine the significance of differences among subgroups. A p-value below 0.05 signifies the statistical significance. Findings: Although 80.1% of the HCWs declared that they had heard about SDGs, 45.3% knew the number of goals in SDGs, and an even smaller percentage (21.5%) knew the number of goals related to health. The overall agreement score about the role of PHC in SDG was (Mean = 3.71, SD = 1.165), with the role of PHC in supporting the research and development of vaccines and medicines as the highest (Mean = 3.86, SD = 1.330), whereas the lowest score was noted for its role in reducing maternal mortality (Mean = 3.39, SD = 1.653). The significantly highest scores were recorded among Saudis (Mean = 3.81, SD = 1.107), physicians (Mean = 3.97, SD = 1.123), with clinical jobs (Mean = 3.85, SD = 1.008), working in clinics (Mean = 3.85, SD = 1.107), with years of experience ³10 years (Mean = 3.93, SD = 1.123), and those who denoted that they had heard about SDG before (Mean = 3.97, SD = 0.863) p<0.001. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The healthcare workers in the PHC centers have a positive perception of the role of the PHC in achieving the SDGs. However, they lack knowledge about the details of the SDGs and the role of PHC in reducing maternal mortality. Saudis, physicians working in clinics with extended years of experience, and those who have heard about SDGs have better knowledge and perception. To ensure efficient incorporation of PHC in SDGs, training courses for HCWs in the PHC should be conducted with emphasis on the goals related to PHC.