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Join the Self-Care Trailblazer Group (SCTG) as we celebrate UHC Day to promote health for all and protect everyone.
Throughout our 12 Days of UHC series, SCTG members and partners share insights and lessons from their organizations on how self-care is part of the solution to achieving our goal — building a safer and healthier future and health systems that serve and protect us all.
Self-care has the ability to support universal health coverage, even more important during the pandemic to promote health for all and protect everyone. This Universal Health Coverage Day—and beyond—join us in amplifying the tremendous value of self-care interventions in achieving UHC.
Over the next 12 days, we invite you to participate in our celebration in the following ways:
We look forward to celebrating together!
HIV self-testing (HIVST) has shifted the paradigm for HIV testing, the first step in the care continuum. This approach to self-care allows people to test when and where they want – with or without the support of a health provider or counselor – and, if confirmed HIV-positive, will link the person to treatment and prevention services.
Commitments to universal health coverage (UHC) should include vulnerable prisoner populations. According to the Global Prisons Trend 2020 report, more than 11 million people are imprisoned globally. The overwhelming majority of them come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Dive into this piece by VSO International as they discuss how ensuring that the health rights of prisoners contributes to UHC for all.
As countries strive to achieve UHC, we must ensure inclusion of self-care products and services. Explore this piece from PATH exploring five actions advocates can take to advance UHC—and how to elevate self-care within advocacy.
When the topic of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) comes up in global discussions, one immediately thinks of equitable access to healthcare for all, where no one is left behind and access to health services does not leave one in debt or abject poverty. Thus, it is no surprise that governments all over the globe have made commitments towards UHC as part of their development goals. See why Y-Act believes that youth voices can help curate solutions for Africa’s most pressing health challenges, beginning by promoting UHC.
How can demand-side solutions play a role in safely promoting digital self-care to young people, as a way to contribute to achieving universal health coverage (UHC)? To celebrate UHC Day, Girl Effect shares details of an innovative partnership within its behaviour change communications programme in India, Chhaa Jaa, that aims to safely connect girls to a third-party telemedicine service. Particularly relevant in light of girls’ reduced healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chhaa Jaa serves as a model to contribute to the UHC goal of “health for all: protect everyone”.
Self-care and universal health coverage (UHC) are hot topics in the global health and development sectors. They are often discussed in silos, but recent programmatic efforts have illustrated how interconnected they actually are. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on movement are exacerbating health inequities worldwide, operating under this context has taught us more about the potential of self-care to meet the health care needs of diverse populations. There is an urgent need to accelerate self-care and UHC initiatives so that individuals can take charge of their own health care needs and have equitable access to health care.
At Aidsfonds we consider self-care as a crucial means to end AIDS and achieve UHC for all. Solutions such as condoms, HIV self-testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), self-sampling for sexually transmitted diseases and digital health solutions offer new options for people who are most affected by HIV and who have avoided clinic-based HIV services for fear of stigma, violence or even arrest in case of criminalized key populations.
There are many possible points of entry into the healthcare system, from comprehensive education to visiting a clinic for the first time. But all too often, these options are not designed with young people in mind, essentially closing the door. After all, if young people don’t feel like something is meant for them, why would we expect them to use it?
As the global health community prepares to celebrate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2020 we have the chance to reflect on one of this year’s key lessons: self-care for sexual and reproductive health and rights is a key part of reaching our goal to #ProtectEveryone. As the result of the strain COVID-19 placed on our existing health systems, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of self-care for sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In the context of these opportunities and challenges, advocacy for self-care is more important than ever for achieving UHC goals.
As we continue on the road to UHC, we must remember that no one country or donor group can do this alone. It will take a concerted global approach to make this happen. We must bring together the strategists and the innovators, the young and the more experienced, the optimists and the skeptics, and other key stakeholders to develop context-based sustainable solutions that promote self-care.
Universal health coverage (UHC) cannot be complete without including the full range of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Abortion is one of the most important and time–sensitive services needed by women and girls; however, it is often neglected during crisis situations, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
This 12th December, we are celebrating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day and the culmination of the Self-Care Trailblazer Group’s 12 Days of UHC digital campaign. We are also reflecting that it has been one year since the first cases of the novel coronavirus were detected in December 2019 and quickly evolved into a pandemic that has disrupted the lives of billions of people worldwide — with well over 50 million cases and more than a million deaths.
To celebrate the 12 Days of UHC with us, find our toolkit here!
This roadmap is the result of a series of in-country advocacy workshops and consultations held between July 2019 and January 2020. It is intended to reflect the wider thinking of the growing self-care community and to serve as a blueprint for collective advocacy action.
Recent developments in health practices that were once in the full control of healthcare professionals and can now be safely self-administered have created a shift in thinking about how individuals engage in self-care. With the expansion of mobile phones, smart phone applications, internet access and artificial intelligence people are discovering new ways to engage in self-care.
A supplement supported by UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme – HRP and published by the BMJ looks at issues of self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The special supplement includes a collection of analyses, systematic reviews and opinion pieces.
Dive into more self-care resources in our Resource Library!
From ministries of health to regulatory bodies and purchasers, we partner with private and public sector players to provide seamless health services to consumers – no matter their entry point to care.
Across 40+ countries, we scale digital solutions that make it easier for people to take ownership of their own health, and health systems to use resources efficiently and increase health impact.
We support health systems in shaping the policy and regulatory environment for self-care interventions and ensuring self-care is included as an essential part of healthcare services.
