Self-Care: Stakeholders seek policy shift from treatment to prevention

Stakeholders in the health sector have urged Nigerians to embrace self-care and preventive healthcare, saying greater personal responsibility for health could reduce avoidable hospital visits, ease pressure on the healthcare system and lower the rising cost of medical care.

The call was made at the third edition of the D’Bio Wellness and Self-Care Summit in Lagos, themed, “The Self-Care Ecosystem: Connecting the Pillars of Health.”

Keynote speaker and Fellow, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Olayinka Subair, described self-care as an ecosystem involving individuals, families, communities, healthcare professionals, pharmacies, digital tools and policymakers.

Subair, a pharmacist and healthcare consultant who said he spent about 35 years in multinational companies before retiring into healthcare consulting, said Nigerians could reduce the burden of disease and financial pressure on families by taking greater responsibility for their health before illness required hospital intervention.

He said, “The easiest way to reduce visits to the hospital is to put the power in the hands of people, meaning that people need to take care of themselves, which is self-care.”

Subair identified healthy nutrition, physical activity, stress and mental health management, wise use of medicines, supplements and health services, and avoidance of risks such as smoking, unsafe sex and other harmful behaviours as the five foundations of self-care.

According to him, “80 per cent of health is built on this,” while only about 20 per cent occurs in the consulting room, underscoring the importance of prevention and healthy lifestyle choices.

He said he began making deliberate lifestyle changes about a decade ago after reflecting on his father’s death shortly after retirement and the financial burden illness imposed on families.

Subair said his personal health strategy included healthy eating, regular physical activity, managing his mindset and walking an average of 7,000 steps daily, urging Nigerians not to wait until they become ill before taking charge of their health.

He called for stronger mental health programmes in schools and workplaces, warning that chronic stress could undermine overall wellbeing. He also urged Nigerians to be cautious of health claims and drug promotions on social media, particularly AI-generated testimonials falsely associating prominent Nigerians with medicines and health products.

Subair said pharmacists had a critical role in the self-care ecosystem because they were among the most accessible healthcare professionals in the country. He urged them to guide Nigerians on the rational use of over-the-counter medicines and supplements, discourage antibiotic misuse and help monitor vital signs such as blood pressure and blood glucose.

He also called for wider recognition of pharmacies as important first points of contact in primary healthcare, while urging families and communities to support healthy choices and policymakers to create an environment that makes healthy living affordable and accessible.

President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ayuba Tanko, said the professional body was not a regulator but worked with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria to address irregularities in the pharmaceutical sector.

Tanko warned that pharmacists could not condone the sale of fake medicines, noting that counterfeit products were becoming increasingly difficult to identify because some were sophisticated copies of genuine products.

The convener of the summit, Monica Eimunjeze, said the event was organised to reinforce the importance of self-care and encourage Nigerians to be intentional about their health.

She said self-care could help prevent diseases, promote wellness and improve health outcomes, particularly as non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol continued to pose major health challenges.

Eimunjeze urged Nigerians to pay attention to nutrition, exercise, mental health, medication compliance and avoidance of risky behaviours, stressing that self-care was holistic and required deliberate choices around food, physical activity, stress management, resilience and healthy lifestyles.

“Taking care of yourself is not selfish. You have to be intentional. You have to be deliberate,” she said, urging Nigerians to set achievable health goals and work consistently towards them.

Ealier, Chairman of the occasion, Igwe Alexander Onyido, said self-care should not be viewed as an individual responsibility alone, but as a holistic approach involving families, communities, the environment and the wider healthcare ecosystem.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Embassy Pharmaceuticals, Sir Nnamdi Obi, said the healthcare sector had taken adequate health information for granted, stressing that stronger public enlightenment could help people recognise health problems early and seek appropriate care.

A health practitioner and Chief Executive Officer of Samdah Natural Clinic, Dr Aisha Oladejo, also stressed the need for holistic health, saying physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing all contribute to an individual’s overall health.

The stakeholders urged Nigerians to follow vaccination schedules, undergo appropriate screening, make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, manage stress, use medicines responsibly and avoid risky behaviours, including unsafe sexual practices and driving under the influence of alcohol.

They maintained that a stronger culture of self-care and prevention would help Nigerians live healthier lives, reduce avoidable illnesses and lessen pressure on hospitals and household finances.

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