The World Patients Alliance (WPA) participated in a global webinar titled “The Triple Win for Prevention through Self-Care: Benefits for Individuals, Societies and Healthcare Systems,” organized by the Global Self-Care Federation (GSCF) on 8 October 2026.
Dr. Hussain Jafri, Chief Executive Officer of WPA, joined the expert panel to present the patient perspective on responsible self-care, highlighting the importance of affordability, health literacy, equitable access and professional support in enabling individuals to manage their health safely and confidently.
The webinar brought together experts from patient advocacy, pharmacy, industry and health economics to discuss findings from GSCF’s recently published report, The Global Social and Economic Value of Self-Care 2.0: Self-Care at the Forefront of Prevention.
The report demonstrates the substantial contribution of responsible self-care to individuals, societies and healthcare systems. It estimates that the use of registered non-prescription medicines generates approximately US$144 billion in annual healthcare system savings, frees 2.2 billion hours of physician time and contributes 24 million quality-adjusted life years globally each year. It also highlights the potential of preventive self-care to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes.
The discussion was moderated by Greg Perry, Director General of GSCF, and featured perspectives from Victoria Rutter, CEO of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, and Professor Nadia Al Mazrouei, alongside Dr. Jafri.
Bringing the Patient Perspective to Self-Care
During the discussion, Dr. Jafri emphasized that meaningful access to self-care goes beyond the availability of products. Patients must be able to afford appropriate treatments, understand how to use them safely and know when to seek professional medical advice.
He highlighted cost, limited availability, complex health information and misinformation as significant barriers, particularly for underserved communities. He also stressed the importance of involving patient organizations in designing health information and services that reflect patients’ everyday needs.
Addressing healthy ageing, Dr. Jafri emphasized that self-care should help people maintain their independence, confidence and quality of life. He noted that the value of self-care should not be measured solely through healthcare savings or economic productivity, but also through its contribution to dignity, wellbeing and meaningful participation in daily life.
A central message from WPA was that self-care should empower patients without shifting the responsibility for healthcare entirely onto individuals. Effective self-care requires affordable products, understandable information, trusted advice from healthcare professionals and clear pathways to further care when needed.
Dr. Jafri also underscored the importance of collaboration among governments, healthcare professionals, industry and patient organizations to ensure that self-care policies translate into practical benefits for patients.
Advancing Equitable and Responsible Self-Care
The webinar reinforced the need to integrate responsible self-care into national prevention strategies and universal health coverage, while strengthening health literacy, access to quality-assured products and professional support.
WPA remains committed to ensuring that the patient voice is central to these discussions and that self-care initiatives contribute to more equitable, accessible and people-centred healthcare systems worldwide.
Watch the webinar recording: The Triple Win for Prevention through Self-Care