The purpose of the project was to develop family medicine within primary health care (PHC) services in rural and urban areas of the Republic of Karelia. The focal points were health promotion, disease prevention and development of general practice system. The project was continuing the earlier PHC development collaboration in rural areas, but activities were expanded to include also development of PHC in urban area starting in 2004 within the Petrozavodsk city. The project also collaborated with the Republican Centre of Medical Preventive Maintenance, Therapeutic Physical Training & Sports Medicine, the Medical College, and the Department of Family Medicine (General Medical Practice) at Petrozavodsk State University.

The project had the following three components:1) strengthening of the PHC services in the rural areas 2) development of PHC services in the urban areas, focusing in general practice, and 3) development of the skills and methods for health promotion and disease prevention within the framework of PHC services. The project was supporting the implementation of the target programmes of the Republic of Karelia, especially the Healthy Lifestyle Programme for 2002–2006. The partner from the Karelian side was the Ministry of Health. The project was financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.