As we recover from the pandemic, building resilience through self-care is key
July 22, 2022 – This Sunday, July 24, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) will join a growing worldwide collection of associations, government agencies, NGOs and individuals in celebrating International Self-Care Day. This annual event recognizes the critical role self-care plays in supporting individual health as well as the overall resiliency of our publicly-funded health care system.
Self-care refers to actions one can take to maintain or improve their health, including making healthy lifestyle choices, treating minor health ailments, managing and preventing chronic diseases, and much more.
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the importance of increasing Canadians’ capacity to care for themselves. Despite being the first line of defense in public health emergencies, self-care receives little to no health policy attention or funding.
In response, FHCP released this infographic outlining why Canada needs a national self-care strategy.
A 2020 study, conducted on behalf of FHCP by Abacus Data, found 95% of Canadians agreed that they need more tools to care for themselves and a strong, resilient, publicly funded healthcare system for when they can’t. It also found that 91% of Canadians believe that ensuring that Canadians are well-informed about health and wellness matters and have access to the best information possible would help control the costs of our national healthcare system.
In January 2021, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada published the Blueprint for a National Self-Care Strategy calling for improved health literacy and access to self-care tools, resources and opportunities for all Canadians. Evidence from around the world confirms that self-care reduces costs and increases healthcare quality, access and equity.
To find resources on health literacy and the other six pillars of self-care, please go to selfcare.ca. Use the hashtag #iselfcare on your social posts showcasing your favourite ways to practice self-care!
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SELF-CARE DAY
International Self-Care Day is a worldwide campaign held annually on July 24th (7/24) as a reminder that the benefits of self-care are experienced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It celebrates the importance of self-care and encourages the public to practice responsible self-care.
ABOUT FHCP
FHCP is the voice of Canada’s leading food, health, and consumer products manufacturers. Our industry employs more people than any other manufacturing sector in Canada, across businesses of all sizes that manufacture and distribute the safe, high-quality products at the heart of healthy homes, healthy communities, and a healthy Canada.