On the side-lines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, several United Nations (UN) agencies jointly called for greater commitments and investments in self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health and rights. These interventions aim to empower individuals to take control of their own health while improving access to essential healthcare. The joint interagency statement was made following commitments by world leaders at the UN General Assembly to work towards universal health coverage by 2030. The statement emphasizes the potential of self-care interventions to enhance global healthcare access. It focuses on five key areas: financing, the health and care workforce, partnerships and accountability, quality regulation, and research. The agencies calling for action include HRP, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, and the World Bank. Self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health encompass various measures, including self-administering injectable contraception, self-sampling for HPV screening, HIV self-testing, ovulation predictor kits, and self-managing medical abortion. Expanding access to high-quality self-care options can improve healthcare agency and autonomy and contribute to achieving health for all. Currently, many individuals worldwide lack access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, leading to preventable maternal deaths and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections.
World Health Organization Grants Emergency Use Approval for Novavax’s Revised COVID Vaccine
Novavax's recently updated COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency-use authorization from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the active immunization of...
