Today, on Self Care Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new resource – a competency framework – to help health and care workers support individuals’ self-care efforts. Self-care interventions allow people to test for and manage illnesses and disabilities, prevent illnesses, or obtain information related to their health.
“Self-care interventions are an integral part of health systems and can significantly expand health care service delivery options, particularly for those who are most underserved,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey , Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and HRP at WHO. who is also a trained midwife. “Health and care workers play an important role in helping people understand and use self-care approaches and tools – whether it be self-pregnancy tests, COVID -19 or HIV, managing their fertility or self-monitoring chronic health problems – these resources aim to support them in this process.
An estimated 3.6 billion people – half the planet – are missing access to essential health services. WHO recommends self-care interventions for every country as an essential path to universal health coverage, helping people take better control of their own health; support broader health care options and enable easier access to health care.
Self-care interventions include, among others: self-administered contraceptives, screening for COVID-19 as well as human papillomavirus (HPV), HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, monitoring of blood pressure, pregnancy and ovulation tests, and management techniques. stress, substance use, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Furthermore, in times of major disruptions to the normal functioning of national health systems, caused by health emergencies, self-care interventions can provide an important alternative to usual facility-based services.
THE Personal Care Competency Framework is published in three parts: competency standards; a knowledge guide, aimed at health and care workers; and one Educational guide for use by those involved in the planning and delivery of education and training for health and care workers.
The standards define 10 key skills for health and care workers to support self-care in their clinical practice, and the specific, measurable behaviors that demonstrate these skills, with a focus on person-centredness ; decision making; effective communication; collaboration; evidence-based practice and personal conduct.
“We call on countries, health and care worker training institutions and employers to embed the standards in education and practice, and to support and invest in a competent health and care workforce to provide quality, person-centered and evidence-based health services. » said Jim Campbell, director of WHO’s health workforce department. WHO defines self-care as the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability. Jointly developed by the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and the Health Workforce Department, the new publications support the implementation of WHO guidelines on self-care interventions supported first published in 2019 and updated in 2022.
