Health ministers from Costa Rica and Malawi, along with global health and policy experts, met in Geneva to discuss self-care.
At an event hosted by World Self-Care Federation At the Global Social Comprehensive Health Forum (GSCF), participants advocated for a World Health Organization (WHO) resolution on self-care. The event was co-hosted by three countries, Costa Rica, Egypt and Malawi, all of which are committed to improving self-care.
Ministerial representatives from Guatemala, Belize, Panama and El Salvador also attended.
“The potential for self-care is enormous,” said Ian Chapple, professor of periodontology at the University of Birmingham and one of the summit panellists. Health Policy WatchBut, he said, the approach “needs to be multidimensional, with collaboration from different sectors.”
“We need to embed self-care in public health policy,” said Judy Stenmark, executive director of the GSCF, who explained that the WHO resolution could lead to “meaningful policy change” and cost savings for the health system.
“We want to save time and money for individuals, health professionals and the health care system, and we have evidence and data that shows self-care can do all of that,” Stenmark said.
be Policy Summary A report released by the United for Self-Care Coalition found that implementing self-care protocols could save the health care system as much as $119 billion annually.
of WHO estimate There is a projected global shortage of 18 million health workers by 2030. In 2022, the WHO said at least 400 million people worldwide will lack access to the most basic health services. The organization ranks self-care as one of the “most promising and exciting approaches to improving health and well-being.”
One key aspect of the conversation this week was making self-care accessible to all: according to the WHO, 100 million people are pushed into poverty each year due to rising health care costs.
“A comprehensive approach to self-care should include cultural sensitivity, holistic practice and community engagement,” said Wendy Olayiwola, chairperson of the UK chapter of the Nigerian Nurses Association and advocate for specialist midwifery.
Dr Manjula Narasimhan, head of the WHO’s sexual and reproductive health and research unit, said self-care could be integrated into universal health insurance plans to complement other public health services, especially for people who “fall through the gaps” in the system.
She said making menstrual products more accessible in different settings is a powerful example of practicing self-care.
“Self-care is about how people can live their lives and take care of themselves,” Narasimhan said.
Costa Rica’s Vice President and Minister of Health, Dr. Mary Munive Ungermueller, added: “Self-care is not an individual action, and realizing its potential requires a confluence of multiple contexts, from health literacy to public health policies.”
People-Centered
Another “tangible” benefit of self-care is that “patients take an active role in their own health,” said Eros Rozenyi, president of the International Coalition of Patients’ Organizations, another summit panelist. Patients can also make more informed decisions, he said.
“When you put people at the centre of health care, self-care becomes a given,” Narasimhan added.
A big focus of the World Self-Care Federation’s work is education.
Educating people about how to take control of their health and new tools to help them stay healthy has many benefits, Chapple said. Health Policy Watch.
Additionally, Narasimhan said education on where to find accurate health information is essential. For example, she said, there can be misinformation online. Providing “good education on self-care from the beginning” is a good idea, she said. This means all stages of life, from the prenatal stage through old age.
The benefits of self-care
“Self-care can also be discussed in the context of health insurance,” said Dr. Mariam Jasi, chair of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia chapter of UNITE, an international coalition of current and former parliamentarians.
She spoke Health Policy WatchShe said she sees great potential in health insurance and prevention policymaking as a key component of self-care. For example, breast cancer screening is a “classic example of self-care. It allows for timely detection of potentially fatal diseases.” [and] It increases the chances of survival and the quality of life.”
But Jassy said a definition of self-care needs to be agreed upon, “especially at the international level.” The summit was a great start, but “more work needs to be done to come up with a better framework,” he said.
To learn more about self-care and the work of the United Self-Care Coalition, Click here for details.
Image credits: Susanna Stawiska, who.
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