Self-Care Vital for Health and Well-being, Says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging individuals, families, and communities to embrace self-care practices as a key way to improve health, prevent disease, and cope with illness, especially in times of stress and difficulty.

Experts say simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, staying physically active, and prioritising mental health can make a significant difference in managing health and well-being.

Self-care is defined as the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability, with or without the direct support of a health worker.

Currently, an estimated 3.6 billion people — nearly half the world’s population — lack access to essential health services.

In response, WHO recommends self-care interventions for every country and economic setting as a crucial strategy to achieve universal health coverage, promote health, and protect vulnerable populations.

“Self-care empowers individuals to take control of their health and well-being. It allows people to play an active role in preventing diseases, managing minor health issues, and supporting those in need of care,” WHO officials say.

Self-care interventions include a wide range of evidence-based, quality tools such as medicines, counselling, diagnostics, and digital technologies. Many of these can be accessed outside formal health facilities and, depending on the intervention, may be used with or without direct supervision from health workers.

According to WHO, self-care can: Empower individuals and communities to manage their health,Strengthen national health systems by improving resource efficiency,Improve access to primary healthcare and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage (UHC).

The public is encouraged to adopt practical self-care habits such as proper nutrition, regular physical activity, mental health care, and responsible use of self-care tools to promote a healthier society.