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Abstract
BackgroundSelf-care interventions offer a solution to support the achievement of three goals of the World Health Organization (WHO): to improve universal health coverage, reach people in humanitarian situations, and improve health and well-being. In light of implementing WHO consolidated guidelines on self-care interventions to strengthen sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists from four different EMR countries discussed the current SRH situation, inequality gaps, barriers to SRH service access and the pharmacist’s crucial role as a first-line responder to patients before, during and after COVID-19.Case presentationSelf-care interventions for SRH allow health care providers to serve a greater number of patients, improve progress toward universal health coverage, and reach people in humanitarian crises. In fact, these interventions can be significantly enhanced by utilizing community pharmacists as first-line health care providers. This review highlights the important role of community pharmacists in promoting self-care interventions and empowering individuals, families and communities. As a result, well-informed individuals will be authoritative in their health decisions. Exploring self-care interventions in the EMR was done through reviewing selected SRH services delivery through community pharmacists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Somalia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacists were found to be excluded from both governmental and nongovernmental SRH programmes. During the pandemic, community pharmacists managed to support patients with self-care interventions, whether voluntarily or through their pharmacy associations. This highlights the need for the health care decision-makers to involve and support community pharmacists in influencing policies and promoting self-care interventions.ConclusionSelf-care interventions can increase individuals’ choice and autonomy over SRH. Supporting community pharmacists will definitely strengthen SRH in the EMR and may help make the health system more efficient and more targeted.
Highlights
Self-care interventions offer a solution to support the achievement of three goals of the World Health Organization (WHO): to improve universal health coverage, reach people in humanitarian situations, and improve health and well-being
In this review, four countries from the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are discussed: Egypt, the second most populous country in the World Health Organization (WHO) EMR (WHO 2010), with a very young population; Jordan, with an estimated total population of about 9.5 million – 37% under 15 years of age – which is renowned for its highquality health care services (WHO 2017); Lebanon, with a population estimated at 4 million – over 80% of whom live in urban areas – which is ranked 17th out of 21 countries in health production and determinants in EMR countries; and Somalia, a fragile state with 15 million Somalis (World Bank 2019) which lacks proper health facilities, while 72% of its population has no access to proper health care [1]
Pharmacists play a vital role in promoting self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the EMR
Summary
Pharmacists play a vital role in promoting self-care interventions for SRH in the EMR. Inequalities in access to SRH information and services continue to be one of the greatest challenges in these countries, and especially in LMICs. EMR pharmacists offer their high-quality knowledge and expertise at any time, free of charge and in complete privacy. EMR pharmacists offer their high-quality knowledge and expertise at any time, free of charge and in complete privacy They should be acknowledged as a cornerstone of the health care system. WHO has an important role in establishing the standardization and the guidelines for self-care interventions for SRH. This was stated in the WHO consolidated guideline on selfcare interventions: sexual and reproductive health and rights issued in 2019.
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