Members of two organizations representing regulators and industry respectively have agreed to champion self-care “as a cornerstone in promoting increased access to health and well-being across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Ratified at the recent Global Self-Care Federation, Asia Pacific Self-Medication Industry (APSMI) and Thai Self-Medication Industry Association (TSMIA) Joint Congress in Thailand, the Bangkok Joint Initiative on Self-Care of Medical Products was agreed by the Self-medication Collaborative Asian Regulator Expert Roundtable (Self-CARER) and APSMI.
It states: “We, representatives of governments, national regulatory authorities, non-governmental organizations, members of the United for Self-Care Coalition, and private sector, gathered here today, recognizing the importance of self-care as a fundamental pillar of health and well-being, affirm our dedication to advancing self-care as an essential component of Universal Health Coverage.”
“Through self-care, we can empower individuals to actively manage their health and prevent diseases, leading to improved outcomes and quality of life,” commented Junko Sato, co-chair of Self-CARER, which brings together health and medicines regulatory agencies in Japan (PDMA), Thailand (Thai FDA), Chinese Taipei (TFDA), Singapore (HSA), Korea (MFDS), Indonesia (MOH and BPOM), Malaysia (NPRA), and Philippines (PFDA).
“It must not be overlooked as a key cornerstone to improving health outcomes,” continued Sato, who is also office director of international programs at Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). “Instead, we must recognize its value and integrate self-care practices into health systems to better support health outcomes across the Asia-Pacific region.”
APSMI chairperson Sylvia Tsai – who is also president of the Taiwan Self-Care Industry Association and Taiwan and Asia regulatory lead at Haleon – called the Bangkok Declaration an “impressive multi-sectoral collaboration that promises to advance self-care and enhance policy and practice.”
“By working together,” Tsai continued, “we have the power to shape regulatory frameworks, eliminate barriers and create inclusive policies that empower individuals to leverage self-care to make better health and wellbeing decisions.”
Joint Commitments
The initiative commits signatories to promote self-care medical products, emphasizing first and foremost the importance of self-care in enhancing health literacy. “By integrating self-care practices into all levels of healthcare medical product systems, particularly primary care, individuals can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed health decisions, ultimately reducing the burden on healthcare providers and systems.”
The Bangkok Declaration also acknowledges the potential of digital technologies to enhance self-care medical product interventions, including aiding individuals in recognizing when professional healthcare intervention is necessary, promoting health, and making informed health decisions.
To further this particular aspect of the declaration, APSMI is calling for a digital literacy framework and guideline in a position paper also launched at the Joint Congress, “The Importance of Digital Health as an Enabler of Self-Care in the Asia-Pacific (APAC).”
Relatedly, APSMI is calling for regulatory harmonization for e-labelling, and has published an “E-Labelling Strategic Approach and Advocacy Playbook” to help stakeholders “map out current regulatory landscapes and identify key challenges and opportunities specific to the region.”
Public-private partnerships are also key to advancing self-care, the Bangkok Declaration continues. “Public-private partnerships can reduce costs to governments by sharing resources, expertise, and best practices, accelerating progress in self-care implementation and improving health outcomes globally,” it notes.
Better self-care governance is also on the agenda for the signatories, which cite the GSCF’s campaign for a WHO Resolution on Self-Care for Health as something to aim for. “This will provide a comprehensive framework for governments, stakeholders, and the international community to strengthen self-care policies and interventions.”
“The time to act is now,” concluded GSCF director general Judy Stenmark. “Let’s not leave it any longer. We have the resources, we have the self-care products, and it’s in within our power to unleash the benefits of self-care and self-care enabled health systems.”
