Attendance an online digital event on Dec. 12, 2024 entitled “Health for all: universal health coverage”. The event was offered by International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

Description: December 12th was observed annually as Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, dedicated to raising awareness, celebrating achievements, and calling for action to ensure equitable access to quality health services without financial hardship. Self-care was recognized as essential to well-being across all life stages, with health literacy empowering individuals to practice self-care, thereby improving health outcomes and reducing the burden on healthcare systems, ultimately supporting UHC goals.

Pharmacists, as advocates of self-care, played a pivotal role in this evolving health landscape. This event emphasized the importance of self-care within the framework of UHC, exploring how pharmacists could contribute to and advance both self-care and UHC initiatives. It also marked the launch of the new FIP knowledge and skills reference guide, designed to support pharmacists’ professional development in self-care, reaffirming the profession’s commitment to empowering individuals and enhancing healthcare access.

Moderator:

Lars-Åke Söderlund, Community Pharmacist, FIP; Apoteket, Sweden.

Facilitator:

Mfonobong Timothy, Practice Development and Transformation Projects Coordinator, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Netherlands.

Panellists:

• Manjulaa Narasimhan, Lead, Self-care for health and well-being, WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, including the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training (HRP), Switzerland.

• Austen El-Osta, Director, Self-Care Academic Research Unit (SCARU), Imperial College London, UK.

• Safeera Hussainy, Senior Pharmacy Research Manager; Honorary Principal Fellow; Adjunct Associate Professor, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; The University of Melbourne; Monash University, Australia.

• Dalia Bajis, Senior Programme Lead, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Netherlands.

• Genuine Desireh, Educational partnerships and project manager, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Netherlands.