Strategic purchasing and provider payment systems enable countries to pool public funds and transfer these resources to PHC providers to deliver health services. Specifically, strategic purchasing means actively allocating funds according to providers' performance and the needs of the populations they serve. This can help countries incentivize greater quality and equity within the system, a stronger focus on primary care as the first contact, more efficient use of resources, and better integration of individuals' health care and public health.

PHC spending includes expenditures on "first-contact" preventative and curative primary care services, which can be provided by a variety of different health workers or settings depending on country context. It also includes expenditures on broader community outreach and public health strategies that prevent illness and promote good health and well-being. PHC spending can be assessed based on national health accounts by looking at total funding, funding sources, and how funding is allocated across different levels of care (from primary care to hospitals) and public health interventions.