Self-Care for Health and Well-being

Self-care refers to the ability of individuals, families, and communities to actively manage their health, prevent disease, and cope with illness and disabilities, with or without the assistance of healthcare professionals. In today’s world, approximately 3.6 billion people—half the global population—lack access to essential health services. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly advocates for self-care interventions as a critical strategy to achieve universal health coverage, promote overall health, protect vulnerable populations, and improve global health security.

Self-care empowers individuals to take charge of their health in various areas, including health promotion, disease prevention, self-medication, caregiving for dependent individuals, rehabilitation, and even palliative care.

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What are Self-Care Interventions?

Self-care interventions are evidence-based tools and practices that enable individuals to manage their own health. These interventions include medications, counseling, diagnostic tools, and digital technologies that can be accessed partially or fully outside of traditional healthcare settings. Depending on the specific intervention, some may require oversight by healthcare workers, while others can be utilized independently.

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Benefits of Self-Care Interventions:

  • Empower individuals and communities to manage their health and well-being.
  • Strengthen national healthcare institutions through efficient use of domestic health resources.
  • Enhance primary healthcare (PHC) services and contribute to universal health coverage (UHC).
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A People-Centered Approach to Self-Care

Self-care interventions promote a people-centered approach grounded in human rights and gender equality. This approach considers the whole person—their needs, circumstances, and desires throughout their lifetime, as well as the environment in which they live.

Self-care allows individuals to take preventive measures and manage health conditions in a safe and supportive environment. It complements, rather than replaces, formal healthcare systems by providing additional options for health management.

Accessible, affordable, acceptable, and high-quality self-care interventions are essential for promoting and protecting people’s right to health. They also improve the efficiency, access, and reach of health services. Achieving this requires:

  • Supportive policies and laws,
  • Adequate health financing,
  • Regulation of quality products,
  • Educational initiatives that encourage active participation in healthcare,
  • Protection of privacy and confidentiality.

Human rights considerations are critical to reducing violence, stigma, and discrimination, ensuring that individuals can fully exercise their right to health, make informed decisions, and access accurate information.

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The Role of Self-Care in Crises and Pandemics

In times of humanitarian crises or pandemics, when healthcare systems are overwhelmed, individuals and communities are often required to manage their own health. In these situations, innovative strategies beyond traditional healthcare responses become necessary.

With 274 million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance and 400 million lacking access to essential health services, self-care interventions provide crucial alternatives to traditional health facilities. One in five people globally now live in crisis-affected areas, where healthcare systems struggle to meet even basic needs.

During pandemics like COVID-19, when isolation and physical distancing disrupt normal healthcare access, self-care interventions become even more important. WHO has prioritized self-care interventions in its guidance for maintaining essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools to manage their health, self-care plays a pivotal role in global efforts to achieve better health outcomes and address healthcare challenges, particularly in crisis situations.

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