“Self-care is good for everyone: for people, because a prepared citizen who, for small ailments or preventive measures, goes to the pharmacy and manages to obtain timely intervention feels better more quickly; for the National Health Service, which is not burdened by further stress with other visits; for the community economy, which avoids and saves on the costs of medical visits, absences from work, but also of the evolution of the pathology with the use of more expensive drugs, chronic therapies and more demanding interventions for the NHS”. This is how Ivo Tarantino, Head of Institutional Affairs at Haleon, explains to Adnkronos Salute the importance of International Self-Care Day, a day desired by the World Health Organization, which is celebrated today, dedicated to “the ability to take care of one’s health, to prevent pathologies and deal with small ailments to avoid their evolution, alone or with the support of qualified health workers, in particular the pharmacist”.
It has been estimated “by Aesgp, ‘European Association for Self Care – Tarantino continues – that in Italy already currently every year the self-management of 137 million minor ailments by citizens allows a saving of 5 billion euros attributable to avoided medical visits and working hours that have not been lost, but also in the prevention of possible worsening. From a survey that we presented in 2023 to the European Parliament – he adds – it emerges that 80% of EU citizens would like to take care of their health, but only 20% believe they have the skills to do so. Investments and health literacy projects are therefore needed to put citizens in a position to take better care of themselves, but also for the recognition of the importance of the advice of the pharmacist, who plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing efficacy and safety. In Europe there are 160 thousand pharmacies that can be reached in 5 minutes by 58% of citizens. We are talking about a point of access to local health, fast, immediate, available 24 hours a day”.
“We often have the perception that self-care, taking care of one’s health independently – observes Tarantino – is not part of the health system. When we talk about health, we often refer to hospitals, we talk about care, about chronic diseases. A day like today reminds us that preventing diseases and treating small ailments promptly, independently, is health. Self-care is health, it is not something accessory”.
There are, however, two things to do. The first is “a strong investment by institutions in education on healthy lifestyles, on how to eat, do sports and manage small ailments – explains the head of Institutional Affairs Haleon – Like civic education, self-care could and should be part of school education”. The second “concerns strengthening the role of pharmacies. After the Covid years, the pharmacy has taken on a more central role that should be systematized as a place of access to advice, products, services capable of lightening the burden on the health system. We must therefore work on educating citizens, so that they know how to take care of themselves and strengthen the network of pharmacies to support, protect and ensure that the citizen’s choices are framed in a controlled and safe context”.
Looking to the future, “in 2025 the National Prevention Plan will have to be renewed – concludes Tarantino – The last one is from 2020. Covid has taught us the importance of prevention, of the territory, of the network, of pharmacists, as the first local health facility. It would be important to take these aspects into account and we hope that the institutions will open up to the discussion with the interlocutors who make self-care a resource for the entire national health”.
#SelfCare #Day #Italy #billion #savings #selfmanagement #small #ailments
