Brief Summary

Supporting Sexual and Reproductive Self-Care Through Social and Behavior Change: A Conceptual Framework

Sexual and Reproductive Health Self-Care Social Behavior Change Framework: Reflections from Sayana Press Self-Injection Study, South Sudan

This framework articulates how social and behavior change can support sexual and reproductive self-care initiatives and contribute to improved health outcomes. The framework is designed for use by policymakers and government representatives, donors, and self-care program implementers.

• Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group/Breakthrough Action (2021)
• How to Use: The framework provides customizable, stepwise guidance on how different health practitioners can support an enabling environment for individuals to adopt self-care behaviors
• Case Study: The Delivering Innovation in Self-Care (DISC) project is deploying user and provider behavior change interventions in Nigeria, Uganda, and Malawi to sustainably scale up self-injection of DMPA-SC. Empathy training with providers focuses on trusting clients’ ability to self-inject and on patiently addressing clients’ concerns.

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A Conceptual Framework for Costing and Financing Self-Care Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries 

Costing and Financing for Self-Care for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: A Review of Evidence and Country Consultations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Africa 

Costing and Financing of Self-Care: Annotated Bibliography 

This framework builds on evidence from key reports and guidelines as guidance for understanding and evaluating the costs and financing of self-care interventions within the broader self-care ecosystem, noting the structures of the health system that may influence the implementation of self-care interventions.

• Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group/HEARD (2023)
• How to Use: The framework can be used at a tool to support decision-making and advocacy for financing self-care delivery by policymakers, civil society involved in self-care advocacy, and researchers and implementers

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Brief summary

Quality of Care Framework for Clients and Providers in the Delivery of Self-Care

As self-care becomes more prevalent and accessible, quality of care in all self-care interventions must be ensured. This framework supports the adaptations of systems to individuals’ engagement in their own care while ensuring quality, equity, and accountability.

Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group/Population Services International (2020)

How to Use: The framework outlines standards of quality of care that can be used for monitoring and evaluation of self-care, including specific applications such as digital technologies; health workforce training; product regulation; and more.

Case Study: “We’ve been able to apply the Quality of Care Framework from the onset when Uganda initiated its journey in contextualizing the WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions for Health. We were very intentional in ensuring that this was actually incorporated in our contextualized national self-care guidelines for Uganda.” – Anna Kukundakwe, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD)

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Brief Summary 

Sexual and Reproductive Health Self-Care Measurement Tool (1st Edition) 

Priority Indicators for Sexual and Reproductive Health Self-Care: Recommendations from an Expert Working Group 

Technical Brief: Measurement of Self-Care 

This tool identifies a minimal set of priority indicators for self-care interventions through a consensus-driven process involving academics, implementers, donors, and inter-governmental bodies.

• Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group (2023)
• How to Use: This tool identifies 69 standard, priority indicators across three priority self-care interventions: self-injectable contraception, HIV self-testing, and self-managed abortion.
• Case Study: “In developing Nigeria’s National M&E Framework for Self-Care […] the SRH Self-Care Measurement Tool was identified as a key resource, as it provides measurement and metric guidance that builds on evidence, tools, and frameworks that meet our needs. Adapting the tool to our country’s context also allows us to align with global standards and best practices for self-care measurement.” – Jennifer Adebambo, White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria

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Brief Summary 

Digital Self-Care: A Framework for Design, Implementation and Evaluation

This framework aims to guide the effective design, implementation, and research of digital health to support self-care, taking advantage of the growth in mobile phones, smartphone apps, internet access, and artificial intelligence.

Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group/HealthEnabled (2020)

How to Use: This tool provides practical guidance for designing, implementing, and researching digital health, focusing on issues such as user experience, ethical considerations, and quality assurance

Case Study: To promote postnatal behaviors that can be safely self- or family-led and managed, Jhpiego and Viamo implemented a mobile phone-based solution that uses Interactive Voice Recordings, delivering compelling, narrative messaging on key health topics to women for the first six weeks postpartum. The Mother-Baby Infoline was developed considering the Digital Self-Care Framework’s characteristics for quality digital self-care interventions.

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Brief Summary 

Policy Mapping: Assessing Implementation of the WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions in Policy and Practice (in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda), Rapid Analysis 

This tool helps understand the extent to which countries are implementing, in policy and practice, the 24 recommendations outlined in the 2019 WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

• Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer Group/Imperial College London Self-Care Academic Research Unit (2021)
• How to Use: This tool presents a step-by-step methodology and instruments for assessing the extent to which the WHO Self-Care Guideline have been codified and implemented in a specific country.
• Case Study: The Maverick Self-Care Project aims to better understand the policy environment, identify key evidence gaps, and provide insights for the scale-up of self-care services and products in Malawi, Mozambique, and Nepal. The project adapted the Policy Mapping Tool by updating it to the most recent WHO Self-Care Guideline and adding a market landscaping element as well as a consultative workshop process to validate insights with stakeholders.

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Identifying and Prioritizing Evidence Needs in Self-Care Interventions for Sexual and Reproductive Health 

This tool documents the findings of a systematic process to identify and prioritize evidence gaps and develop a learning agenda for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) self-care, focusing on evidence gaps pertaining to self-managed abortion, HIV self-testing and self-injectable contraception, as well as evidence gaps that are relevant across SRH interventions.

• Authors and Year Published: Self-Care Trailblazer GroupSedgh (2023)
• How to Use: This tool presents a global learning agenda for self-care, which could be used as a starting point for the development of country-specific research and learning agendas.