Self-care has emerged as a unique form of help and has grown in interest, particularly among young people and youth-serving organisations involved in mental health work. In its most straightforward understanding, self-care helps empower individuals to take an active role in decisions about their well-being, access to information, and health management.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently recognised the pivotal role of self-care interventions in achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and promoting health. This acknowledgement underscores the significance of self-care as a diverse set of activities, including health promotion, disease prevention, self-medication, providing care to others, seeking professional care when necessary, and rehabilitation. It emphasises individual agency, autonomy, and informed decision-making.
These self-care approaches are set to revolutionise how young people engage with their health, offering a new level of empowerment and control over their well-being. Recognising the importance of self-care interventions and practices and their benefits for young people, Y+ Global, in collaboration with You(th) Care and Youth Wise country partners, organised a webinar on May 30, 2024. The webinar aimed to promote access to resources on self-care and mental health support and also served as a commemoration for Mental Health Awareness Month.
With more than 60 participants joining from across the globe, the webinar featured representatives from Y+ Malawi, AYAREP, PATA, and Mental Health PH, who led a panel discussion on promoting positive mental health practices among young people. The event aimed to deepen understanding of self-care and its interventions, mainly focusing on its significance for the mental health of young people living with HIV.
The panel discussion highlighted key best practices from both the African and Asian continents, where speakers presented digital tools and apps that promoted positive mental health practices. The webinar facilitated access to self-care and mental health resources, providing a safe space for participants to actively discuss the challenges and barriers they face in accessing mental health services. It also emphasised specific self-care practices that can enhance mental well-being, fostering an environment of support and shared solutions.
“I like the concept of self-care because it puts the power of my health in my hands, allowing me to make informed decisions about my sexual and reproductive health and general well-being,”
Jerop Limo - Ambassador for Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Programme (AYAREP)
Furthermore, the webinar allowed local and regional implementing partners to share their advocacy work under the You(th) Care and Youth Wise projects, which are supported and funded by AidsFonds. This work aimed to ensure that governments bridge the gap between self-care and other health services and recognise self-care as a significant contributor to the achievement of Universal Health Care.
The webinar not only served as a platform for sharing best practices and innovative approaches but also nourished the collaborative spirit among diverse stakeholders committed to promoting positive mental health practices in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the progress of self-care interventions in countries such as Kenya, Malawi, and the Philippines. COVID-19 has been an accelerating factor of self-care as it was a difficult time for many, especially young people who suffered from negative mental health experiences. This prompted organisations like Mental Health PH in the Philippines to develop and distribute self-care toolkits to support young people during the pandemic.
Dr Wole Ameyan from WHO, a leading authority in global health, shared resources like the Adolescent Mental Health Guidelines and the Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing framework, which contains specific evidence-based practices on protecting and supporting mental health services for young people.
“The repackaged WHO self-care guidelines were done to suit different contexts and audiences, adapting the language to be people-friendly, especially for young people. We have always advocated for the meaningful engagement of young people, and now we are moving more towards the meaningful engagement of self,”
Dr. Wole Ameyan - World Health Organization
The webinar concluded with Y+ Global introducing the self-care challenge, an online art challenge aimed at fostering creative expression of self-care practices among adolescents and young people. The challenge is open to young people aged 18 to 30, and prizes will be awarded. The deadline for the challenge is June 20, 2024.
About You(th) Care and Youth WISE
You(th) Care is a project supported by Aidsfonds that enables vulnerable adolescents in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia to advocate for and practice self-care for their SRHR needs and increase access and utilisation of self-care services and commodities.
Youth Wise is a youth and women-led project initiated by Aidsfonds in collaboration with networks of young people living with HIV in Malawi and Kenya and at the global level by Y+ Global.
