Washington, D.C., 7 August 2025 (PAHO) – As part of self-care month, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) held the virtual seminar “Self-care: Promoting health and sexual and reproductive rights to strengthen universal health coverage”. The meeting aimed to share progress on self-care interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean, exchange experiences, and strengthen collaboration mechanisms among key stakeholders.
The event was opened by James Fitzgerald, Director of PAHO’s Department of Health Systems and Services, who emphasized that “self-care does not replace the health system—it complements it. It enables us to expand access, reduce barriers, improve efficiency, and promote equity.” He also stressed that these interventions reinforce the pillars of primary health care—such as community empowerment and multisectoral action—and represent a transformative strategy to address challenges like the shortage of qualified health personnel and persistent inequalities.
In the first technical presentation, Manjulaa Narasimhan, Unit Head for Sexual Health and Well-being Across the Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO), presented key tools developed by WHO to support the implementation of self-care interventions. Narasimhan highlighted that “self-care is a fundamental starting point for achieving better health outcomes, reducing mortality, and improving the efficiency of health systems,” and noted that these interventions can be particularly relevant in humanitarian contexts and for populations in situations of vulnerability.
Rodolfo Gómez Ponce de León, PAHO Advisor on Sexual and Reproductive Health, presented the progress achieved by PAHO and WHO in the Region. He underscored the development of country profiles, competency frameworks, pilot experiences, and the validation of good practices in collaboration with ministries of health. He also highlighted joint work with 12 priority countries in the Region, as well as commitments to scale up key interventions such as pregnancy self-testing and the self-administration of injectable contraceptives.
The seminar also featured a panel moderated by Gabriela Perrotta, researcher at the University of Buenos Aires, with representatives from Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, who shared how self-care interventions are being integrated into their national sexual and reproductive health policies. Camila Carloni Gasparro from Brazil’s Ministry of Health outlined progress related to the national care policy and the free distribution of pregnancy tests and contraceptives. Mónica Castro from Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection emphasized the concept of care as a collective responsibility and a capacity to be strengthened within communities. Leonel Briozzo, Vice Minister of Health of Uruguay, described how the country has integrated self-care into national strategies to improve continuity of care and reduce maternal mortality.
Towards the end of the meeting, Carl Massonneau, WHO Technical Officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, invited all stakeholders in the Region to participate in an open regional survey aimed at gathering perspectives and recommendations to continue strengthening the self-care agenda through a participatory approach.
During the closing of the event, Suzanne Serruya, Unit Chief of Unit on Women’s, Maternal, Newborn, and Reproductive Health at PAHO, acknowledged the commitment of countries and reaffirmed the importance of continuing to generate evidence, strengthen capacities, and promote the exchange of experiences among key actors. “Self-care cannot be seen as a stand-alone option; it must be integrated into health systems with a rights-based, equitable, and quality approach,” she said.
This seminar is part of a series of PAHO-led actions to accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality in the Region and to advance towards more inclusive, resilient, and people-centered health systems.
