On Self-Care Day, WHO released new guidance to help countries roll out effective self-care interventions within their healthcare systems. These interventions include medicines, diagnostic and monitoring devices, and digital tools, which empower people to test for and manage diseases, prevent illnesses, or get vital health information.
Self-care options for health are growing in popularity. They include, among others: self-administered contraceptives, screening for COVID-19 as well as human papillomavirus (HPV), HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, blood pressure monitoring, pregnancy and ovulation tests, and techniques for managing stress, substance use, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
“With billions of people lacking access to essential health services and a global shortage of health and care workers, self-care interventions have the potential to address significant equity-related challenges, while expanding access to critical health care,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) at WHO. “This new guidance will be a vital resource for countries across the world as they introduce and expand self-care for health and well-being.”
The guidance stresses the need to provide people with accurate and accessible information about self-care options, and the role of health workers in supporting their use. Practically, it outlines the ways different parts of the health workforce can support and advise people on self-care, including pharmacists, family doctors, and community health workers, as well as carers.
Aimed at countries adopting WHO’s landmark Guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, the guidance supports all those making decisions or advising on the delivery and promotion of self-care interventions, including policymakers, legislators, regulators, program managers, health and care workers, and community members.
Self-care interventions can give people greater autonomy, options, and access to health services, as well as offer improved confidentiality and privacy. In 2021, an estimated 4.5 billion people were not fully covered by essential health services. As well as complementing health systems during times of stability, self-care interventions can also provide an important alternative when there are major disruptions to health systems.
Since the guideline was published five years ago, interest in self-care interventions has grown tremendously. To date, around 50 countries have taken steps to adapt the guidelines and introduce or change policies to support them.
