The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 400 million people worldwide lack access to the most essential health services. In 2016, the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 projected a global shortage of 18 million health workers by 2030. These numbers call for innovation in the way sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care is delivered. This is precisely where self-care can play a critical role.
The momentum around self-care is building, spurred on, in large part, by the publication of the WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions for Health in 2019 and the release of the WHO Abortion Care Guideline in 2022, which explicitly mentions self-managed approaches. The field is witnessing an exciting and dynamic time for self-care seen through a burgeoning array of self-care practices, policies, and interventions globally. This report aims to take stock of the SRH self-care field and document its progress. It is intended to provide a resource for global and national advocacy, to inform implementation of self-care guidelines, and to link the reader to evidence and learning exchanges.
