SWITZERLAND —During the 76th World Health Assembly, the United for Self-Care Coalition, a newly formed alliance of like-minded groups and experts, called for the expansion of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on self-care.

The coalition, represented by its member, the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF), hosted a panel event titled “Self-Care: A Foundational Component of Health System Sustainability” to emphasize their call to action.

Manoj Raghunandanan, Chair of the GSCF, highlighted the importance of self-care in healthcare systems, particularly in light of rising chronic conditions, an aging population, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has shifted perspectives on self-care as people faced lockdowns and limited access to in-person medical care.

Raghunandanan noted, “The COVID-19 pandemic was the great accelerator. We had a period where consumers and patients were relying upon themselves to care for themselves, and during that time, we realized that in many cases, they could be successful at doing this.”

Self-care refers to individuals, families, and communities promoting health, preventing diseases, coping with illnesses and disabilities, with or without the support of health workers.

The United for Self-Care Coalition has called on the WHO to enhance health literacy, promote digital health, provide self-care guidance and capacity building, recognize self-care as an enabler of universal health coverage (UHC), and invest in self-care.

The coalition is already part of the UHC2030 platform, which aims to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.

Expanding access to self-care interventions is crucial, and telemedicine and digital health solutions can play a significant role.

Austen El-Osta, an academic, highlighted examples such as the UK National Health Service distributing blood pressure monitors to patients, allowing them to self-care and relieving pressure on primary care.

El-Osta emphasized the need to democratize access to self-care interventions and best practices, stating, “We have the guidelines; we’ve got some anecdotal evidence. We’ve got a lot of work on non-communicable diseases and technology. So all of these are coming together now.”

Pharmacists were also recognized as a valuable resource in supporting self-care and alleviating burdens on struggling health systems.

Mariet Eksteen, Global Lead for Advancing Integrated Services at Advancing Pharmacy Worldwide, highlighted the role of pharmacists as the first point of contact for many patients.

Empowering pharmacists with health literacy and community knowledge could lead to increased levels of preventative care and support self-care practices.

The call for a WHO resolution on self-care, rather than just guidelines, gained support during the panel discussion.

A resolution would provide a framework for integrating self-care into economic and health policies, promoting awareness, mobilizing resources, and garnering political commitment.

Sandy Garçon, the founding director of the Self-Care Trailblazer Group, stressed the need for the right policies, funding, and programming, while Kawaldip Sehmi, CEO of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, emphasized the importance of prioritizing self-care for patients.

The United for Self-Care Coalition’s call for action aims to foster an ecosystem that embraces self-care and supports the achievement of UHC goals.

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