Self-care practices hold the huge potential to improve people’s quality of life, helping to manage the burden of NCDs while simultaneously developing the sustainability of health systems.

On the occasion of the 76th World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Assembly (WHA), the United for Self-Care Coalition is hosting a side event to highlight why a WHO resolution on self-care is key to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This dialogue will bring together a diverse set of stakeholders to advance the call to codify self-care as a critical component of the healthcare continuum.

The event, which will be held on Wednesday 24 May in Geneva Press Club is titled “ Self-Care: A Foundational Component of Health System Sustainability,” and will bring together policymakers, healthcare providers, academics, and patient advocates to discuss strategies for advancing health equity by integrating self-care into national health systems.

“The time to act is now. We believe that self-care is a critical component for the advancement of UHC, and we are committed to working with policymakers, healthcare providers, patients, and academia, to promote its integration into health systems,” said Judy Stenmark, Director General of the Global Self-Care Federation. “This event is also an opportunity for us, as a Coalition, to advocate for the adoption of a World Health Assembly Resolution on Self-Care, promote evidence-based interventions, and support policies and strategies that encourage the integration of self-care as a core component of people-centered care – we invite everyone to join us on this journey.”

Self-care is an indispensable solution for realising Universal Health Coverage by 2030 and should be integrated into future health and economic policy, with a focus on affordability and access. This whole-society approach is backed by research proving that person-centric healthcare is both a politically and economically viable way of managing the global spread of NCDs, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Panel to focus on ‘crucial role’ of self-care

The panel will discuss the crucial role of self-care including today’s most significant challenges to health system sustainability, ways self-care can help advance the achievement of UHC and how a patient-centered approach can be beneficial to managing NCDs.

Panelists include Dr Slim Slama, Head of the Management-Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Unit (MND), in the Non-Communicable Diseases Department at World Health Organization, Manoj Raghunandanan, Chair of the Global Self-Care Federation, Dr Mariet Eksteen, Professional Development Officer at the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) and the Global Lead for Advancing Integrated Services in the FIP Hub, Dr Manjulaa Narasimhan from the World Health Organization, and Self-Care Trailblazer Group, Kawaldip Sehmi, CEO of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations and Austen El-Osta, Director of the Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU) & Primary Care Research Manager at Imperial College London School of Public Health.

The session, moderated by broadcast journalist Shiulie Ghosh, will also be live-streamed.

United for Self-Care Coalition is a coalition of like-minded organisations unified by one common goal – to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by codifying self-care as a critical component of the healthcare continuum, particularly in the context of managing the burden of NCDs.

To join this in-person event, register here. To learn more about the coalition, click here.

This article is part of a supported series in collaboration with the United for Self-Care Coalition ahead of the 76th World Health Assembly.