WHO GUIDELINES ON SELF-CARE INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH

About: 

• Background: These were launched in response to an estimate that by 2035 the world will face a shortage of nearly 13 million healthcare workers. 
  
  
• Meaning of self-care (by WHO): It is the “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider”. 
  
  
• Key highlights of guidelines: 
  • In its first volume, the guidelines focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights. 
    
    
  • Some of the interventions include self-sampling for HPV and sexually transmitted infections, self-injectable contraceptives, home-based ovulation predictor kits, HIV self-testing and self-management of medical abortion. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Way ahead: The guidelines will be expanded to include other self-care interventions, including for prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases.