Geneva, Switzerland – September 22, 2023
World Patients Alliance (WPA) congratulates the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research for their successful consultation on the development of implementation guidance for self-care interventions held from September 18th to 20th, 2023, at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The event marked a significant milestone in promoting self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health and well-being. These interventions are crucial in addressing the challenges of accessing affordable and quality healthcare services. By recognizing individuals as active participants in managing their health, self-care solutions, such as self-testing for pregnancy, HIV, and COVID-19, self-management of medical abortion, and self-monitoring of blood pressure during pregnancy, hold great potential to strengthen primary healthcare. The consultation aimed to develop actionable guidance for program managers and policymakers to implement these self-care recommendations within their national contexts. The initiative seeks to alleviate the financial burden on healthcare systems while addressing ethical, legal, human rights, and social accountability aspects that disproportionately impact underserved communities. 
World Patients Alliance is pleased to acknowledge the active participation of its Founding Director, Hussain Jafri, in this essential event. His presence signifies the commitment of WPA to patient-centric healthcare and advocacy.
The expected outcome of the meeting is the development of draft WHO implementation guidance on self-care interventions for health and well-being, with a specific focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This initiative is a significant step toward integrating SRHR into Primary Healthcare (PHC) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), optimizing the quality of care, reducing morbidity and mortality associated with SRH, and ultimately improving the health and well-being of individuals worldwide.
World Patients Alliance looks forward to further collaboration with WHO and other stakeholders to advance the cause of patient-centered healthcare and self-care interventions.