Table 2

Nine key principles of COPC

Principle	Definition
A defined community	The community served is specifically defined, usually in geographical terms
A multidisciplinary team approach	COPC involves a team of health workers; typically, community health workers, nurses and sometimes doctors
A comprehensive approach	Within the defined community, a COPC approach engages people of all ages, genders and includes attention to health promotion, disease prevention, care, rehabilitation and palliation
An equitable approach	COPC should be accessible, appropriate, affordable and relevant to everyone in the community. Health equity may be improved
Analysis of local health needs and assets	COPC includes assessment of the health needs of the community as well as the inter-sectoral resources available to assist with these needs
Prioritisation of health needs and interventions	The analysis of health needs leads to a process of prioritisation and then development of interventions to address these priorities that involves stakeholders from different sectors
Community participation	The analysis of health needs, prioritisation, planning and action should be done in a participatory approach with community members or structures
Evidence-based and scientific	COPC uses data collected from households, facilities, research and other sources to identify and respond to individual, household and community health needs
Service integration around users	COPC is fundamentally person-centred in how services are coordinated and continuous