As we celebrate International Self-Care Day, Consumer Healthcare Products (CHP) Australia reiterates the value of responsible self-care and its essential role in protecting public health and minimising pressure on frontline healthcare services.
A new report released today by the Mitchell Institute, Self-care and health: by all, for all. Learning from COVID-19, highlights the effectiveness of self-care in improving health and wellbeing for individuals and communities, and how it can help limit the devastating impact of infectious diseases.
Professor of Health Policy, Rosemary Calder explains, “COVID-19 has shown us that engaging people in understanding how to prevent infection and illness, and how to be as healthy as possible, can reduce preventable health problems.”
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply this lesson to develop our health system to help people to be healthier, rather than waiting for them to be unwell with health problems that are preventable – which is what happens now.”
In managing this crisis, a number of the components health authorities have identified as essential to stopping the spread are well established self-care skills and behaviours including;
“In responding to COVID-19, more Australians are taking greater responsibility for their health behaviours and outcomes, eagerly adopting social distancing & good hand hygiene, or reducing risky health behaviours like smoking.” explains CHP Australia CEO, Dr Deon Schoombie.
“Structural support of self-care policies and behaviours would not only help improve the health of individuals, but also our ability to protect the communities from infectious diseases like COVID-19.”
CHP Australia fully supports and endorses the Mitchell Institute’s report, and it’s recommendation that governments focus on enabling the health system to embed self-care support in all health care services and to prioritise prevention and management of both infectious and chronic diseases, particularly in primary health care.
For more information on the Mitchell Institute report, visit https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/health/self-care-a-game-changer-for-everyones-health