The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to expand access to self-care tools for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), saying they are critical to improving access to healthcare, closing testing gaps and advancing universal health coverage.
Ahead of the 26th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2026), scheduled for July 26–31 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UN health agency said self-care approaches are becoming increasingly important in helping people prevent disease, maintain their health and manage illnesses with or without the support of a healthcare worker.
Marking International Self-Care Day, WHO said it is prioritising evidence-based interventions that give individuals, families and communities greater control over their health while ensuring countries can deliver safe, accessible and people-centred services to populations most at risk of HIV and other diseases.
The organisation highlighted a range of self-care interventions, including HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis self-testing, self-sampling for diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and human papillomavirus (HPV), consistent condom use, community-based healthcare services and AI-powered digital health platforms.
"Self-care options are a major step forward in making healthcare more accessible, personal and integrated into people's daily lives," said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs.
"WHO urges countries and partners to expand access to these evidence-based self-care tools. Giving people agency over their health is one of our most effective strategies to close testing gaps, stop transmission and ensure everyone can achieve a better quality of life," she added.
According to WHO, self-testing enables people to access rapid and affordable diagnostic services whenever and wherever they choose, while self-sampling offers a more private and convenient way to collect specimens needed to detect infections.
The agency also stressed the importance of ensuring prevention and treatment services remain physically accessible through pharmacies, community facilities and differentiated service delivery models such as multi-month dispensing of medicines.
WHO further emphasised the role of integrated healthcare, where people can access testing, prevention and treatment for HIV, TB, hepatitis and other STIs from a single service point, particularly benefiting vulnerable populations and women.
The agency also pointed to digital innovations, including mobile applications and AI-driven health assistants, as tools that can provide anonymous health information, medication reminders and supportive messaging from home.
Beyond disease-specific interventions, WHO encouraged complementary self-care practices such as maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active, managing stress, reducing tobacco and alcohol use, and remaining connected to healthcare providers and peer support networks.
"Evidence-based self-care options provide a powerful path toward integrated, people-centred health care," said Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO's Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing.
Echoing the call, Gates Foundation Director of TB and HIV Delivery Programmes Dr Yogan Pillay said self-care "is not an optional add-on to health systems; it is a core strategy for equity," adding that bringing healthcare closer to communities is essential to expanding access to sexual and reproductive health services and ending HIV, TB, viral hepatitis and STIs.