Responsible self-care, a complementary pillar of strong health systems, empowers individuals to stay healthy, prevent disease and manage illness effectively, supporting longer, healthier and more productive lives. 

The WHO defines self-care as the ability of individuals to promote health, prevent disease, maintain wellbeing and manage illness, with or without the support of a healthcare professional. GSCF’s updated Economic and Social Impact study shows that responsible self-care delivers substantial and measurable social and economic benefits across allhealth system contexts. As such, self-care has an important role to play in meeting global aspirations for universal health coverage (UHC).

As individuals, we can reduce unnecessary visits to the doctor by taking non-prescription
treatments for common conditions such as migraines, allergies, coughs, colds and sore throats. We can also manage some of our own preventative care, such as taking vitamins, minerals and supplements, stopping smoking, improving oral health and preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In many cases, this self-care might be the only healthcare available due to limited primary healthcare infrastructure, making it essential. For others, managing our own health is timely, convenient and removes an unnecessary burden from our health systems. This is important, because fiscal consolidation, workforce shortages and multilateral restructuring have all put increasing pressure on health systems, particularly when combined with aging populations, infectious disease burden and the growing prevalence of NCD’s.

A new GSCF report will present evidence showing there is as much as 50% more potential still to be unlocked by 2040. This briefing outlines where we are today. The full report, to be launched in May, will show the full potential of self-care interventions, and what policy decisions are needed to realise that potential.